Morgue at capacity, workers undermanned and over worked, former medical examiner says

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A former Volusia County medical examiner says the morgue is at capacity and the workers are undermanned and over worked staff, according to a letter Dr. Sara Zydowicz wrote to the state’s medical examiner’s commission.

Zydowicz calls the situation at the morgue potentially dangerous and said the building has become so neglected, it is sometimes impossible to get daily work done.

She said in the letter, “Daily work is at times not possible and the risk for critical error is uncomfortably high.”

Zydowicz said the morgue cooler is “consistently over capacity” and that a case load that should have a staff of 39, has 14 people.

The office has been so understaffed that investigators could not arrest a murder suspect, because delays at the medical examiner’s office delayed their investigation, deputies said.

Zydowicz was on the job for one month before she resigned. Her last day is June 1.

Zydowicz didn't say why she was leaving, but a spokesperson for the county said it was a personal decision.

There are 52 open cases within the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office that can’t be investigated because it’s waiting to hear back from the medical examiner’s office.

“One of our recent homicide victims had to be postponed for days because they (medical examiner’s office) just couldn’t get around; they just don’t have the manpower to do it,” said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

Chitwood’s investigators are waiting on three different homicides and multiple overdoses where investigators are interested in pursuing the dealers, but they can't do anything without the medical examiner, who just quit.

Multiple state and local leaders told Channel 9's Mike Springer on Wednesday that no one ever brought the problems to their attention.

Zydowicz said her predecessor did not address the issues, and any attempts she made, were not met with a satisfactory response.

Eyewitness News tried to reach Zydowicz for comment, she did not return our calls.

Stephen Nelson, district medical examiner for the 10th Judicial Circuit of Florida, said in an email to Eyewitness News that Zydowicz never expressed concerns about the office until very recently.

Nelson said the Pasco-Pinellas District Medical Examiner will perform a review of the Volusia County office concerning staffing needs, personnel, policies, etc.

The Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office also does autopsies for Seminole County. Officials for Seminole County said it is not aware of any backlog.

Cox Media Group