Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office faces scrutiny over incomplete death reports

Concerns over incomplete autopsy reports and investigations into deaths in custody dominated discussions at the Tarrant County Special Called Commissioners Court meeting on March 12, 2025. The meeting highlighted a troubling trend: as of yesterday, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office had not completed any reports for deaths in custody from 2024.

Russell Hall was identified as the first individual to die in custody last year, with his death classified as an accident due to toxicity. However, the report for his case remains incomplete. Similar issues were noted for other individuals, including Roger Don Roderick Johnson, whose cause of death was linked to fentanyl toxicity, and Anthony Johnson, whose death was ruled a homicide. In both cases, the reports were also marked as incomplete.

The lack of completed reports raises serious concerns about accountability and transparency within the county's medical examination processes. A speaker at the meeting urged the county to seek an alternative medical examiner, emphasizing that the absence of completed autopsy reports and outside investigations for these cases is unacceptable.

The situation is compounded by reports from media sources, rather than county officials, regarding rising murder rates and the investigation of deaths in custody. The speaker called for immediate action, questioning the status of investigations for deaths outside of 2024 that remain unresolved.

As the meeting concluded, the urgency for reform and thorough investigations into these deaths was clear, with community members advocating for accountability and transparency from Tarrant County officials.