HD65 - The Need for a Lay Medical Investigator System


Executive Summary:
With assistance from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Crime Commission formulated its findings based on data collected from surveys and statutory research. The Commission also reviewed information provided by medical schools, state and local agencies and medical examiner systems in other states.

The Commission was able to document the shortage of local medical examiners and the corresponding need for medical investigators in thirty Virginia localities. These findings prompted the Crime Commission to recommend the implementation of a lay medical investigator system. In addition, the Commission decided to direct a letter of support to each of Virginia's medical schools encouraging the inclusion of information about becoming a local medical examiner in the curriculum or residency programming.