OPINION: In Athens County, the question has been raised; where do all the dead bodies go?

Jessica Horner is a sophomore studying journalism and opinion writer for The New Political.

Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.

The fact that Athens does not have a county morgue has raised some moral and efficiency questions. Do families have to keep track of their loved ones as they travel around the state? Are Athens residents being buried out of the county? Are there any moral or physical risks in the process?

It is a common misconception that all bodies need to be transferred to and stored in a mortuary facility when, in actuality, the county coroner can perform most necessary procedures. Morgues that coincide with their individual county are used for storage, identification, autopsies, and other forensic testing. The Athens County morgue does not have the facilities to conduct autopsies or forensic pathology.

So, when are the morgue’s resources necessary?

 “When an autopsy is deemed necessary to the investigation, the body of the deceased is sent to Montgomery County Coroner’s Office (MCCO) Montgomery Ohio, Ben Ashcraft, lead investigator at the Athens County Coroner’s Office, said. “We have had a very good, professional relationship with MCCO for many years. Their service and expertise are exceptional.”

The MCCO regularly performs autopsies with a highly developed team of experienced forensic pathologists, toxicologists and technicians. Once an autopsy is ordered the Athens County Coroner’s Office is sent a report of the history, demographic, and circumstances of the deceased.

Ken Harshbarger, Montgomery County Coroner, said that when it comes to requiring his services, Section 313.121 of the Ohio Revised Code only mandates the procedure in the case of children who die in apparent good health under the age of two. 

“In all other cases, the coroner decides what information they need to determine cause and manner of death, and sometimes that requires an autopsy examination, sometimes it doesn’t,” Harshbarger said.

Why Does Athens not have a facility?

      The MCCO covers multiple counties that do not have their own facilities or personnel as it is cost-effective and quite typical for smaller counties to work in tandem with morgue facilities of other counties. Athens County has a population of 58,979, many of which are university students, while Montgomery County’s population is 553,892 as of July 2022. Harshbarger said considering there are currently only seven autopsy centers in the state of Ohio, there is not the demand for a county of Athen’s size to fund and operate their own facility.

Additionally, the MCCO has a larger staff than Montgomery County alone needs. They are staffed to do the work of many counties, and Athens utilizes the help of local funeral homes or transport services in order to deliver the body to MCCO.

Is there anything to worry about?

“As far as transport goes, it creates minor delays, particularly all the way from Athens, but we are very efficient in the sense that once the autopsy is ordered and the remains arrive, they are available to be returned to the family the next day if not the same day,” Harshbarger said. The transit from Athens to Montgomery is about 2 hours 20 minutes and typical autopsies take between one and three hours. “Some families may find some hardship, but I am not aware that I have experienced any negative situations from family members,” he said.

He explained that it is cost-prohibitive to equip every county with a facility when there are forensic centers that can provide quality exams and transportation efficiently. He continued, “I think we're doing good work with the resources that we have and effectively using the government’s tax dollars and doing quality work.”

In cases of unclaimed bodies, when an autopsy is deemed necessary, the remains would be returned to the county coroner’s office to follow through with procedures of disposal. Ashcraft explained Athens abides by the Ohio Revised Code Section 9.15 for burial or cremation of body at expense of township or municipal corporation: “When the body of a dead person is found in a township or municipal corporation, in accordance with section 1713.34 of the Revised Code, it shall be buried or cremated at the expense of the County township or municipal corporation in which the person had a legal residence at the time of death.” The section does not exclude unidentified remains or remains “claimed by an indigent person.”

Would it benefit Ohio to have more facilities across the state?

Harshbarger explained that it would be beneficial to have a Southeast Ohio facility regarding transport cost, however, considering the area’s population size, the combined cost for a more effective center of excellence would be “unjustifiable.”

“The MCCO yields an invaluable service to our investigation, the deceased, the family of the deceased, and our community at large,” Ashcraft said.

Considering Athens County's low population and the rarity of requiring autopsy services, it is not harming the county to continue without a forensic pathology center. Athens does not traditionally have a high crime rate nor the noticeable need for further investigation into its deaths. As there have not been any rising moral concerns from those doing the work, there is nothing wrong with sending remains out to get the work they need. All remains that are sent out must come back and are returned to families so there is no losing deceased family members, being buried out of Athens or transfer costs as the Athens County Coroner’s Office pays for the cost of the autopsy process and transport from the county budget. As Harshbarher said, "The system just works." 

So, as it turns out, most dead bodies stay right here in Athens.