Marathon County unveils physician-led Medical Examiner’s Office and new Forensic Science Center

Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Leah Schupner gave the Public Safety Committee an operational update and virtual tour of Marathon County’s new Forensic Science Center on Nov. 11, describing equipment, staffing and regional service plans.

Schupner said the office completed its transition to a physician-led model and hired a second forensic pathologist, Dr. Kate Schubert. “We were able to move into the facility on July 10, and just over a week later, we completed the first autopsy in the new facility,” Schupner said.

The facility includes a full-body x-ray system (referred to as a Phobos unit), a tissue-donation recovery suite, an intake and evidence area, a cooler capacity designed for 49 decedents (expandable by refrigerated trailer), and an observation/education suite with cameras and monitors to support law-enforcement review and student training. Schupner said the office can perform external examinations, full postmortem exams, hospital autopsies and private autopsies, and also offer surgical-hardware removal for families.

The office reported it has eight full staff positions (forensic pathologists, autopsy supervisor, investigations manager and medical-legal investigators) after a recent hire and is onboarding referral counties for pathology services. Schupner listed eight counties already onboarded and said the office has reached out to roughly 40 counties in Northern Wisconsin about potential service contracts.

Committee members asked about staffing and future needs; Schupner said the office is at full staff for current operations but may need additional investigators or a second autopsy technician if referral volumes increase. The presentation concluded with committee appreciation for the new facility and recognition of staff and donors.