CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One County Commissioner gives more light to the firing of Chief Medical Examiner Sandra Lyden.
On Jan. 21, 3News brought you the story of how Lyden allegedly ruled during an autopsy that the death of a Corpus Christi woman was caused by "blunt force injuries." This was later proven incorrect after a second autopsy was performed.
According to County Commissioner Brent Chesney, once the case was immediately brought to his attention, he asked if it could be a topic of discussion during next weeks meeting.
"Yeah, I think it's a very serious allegation. As soon as I learned of the significance of it I asked that it be put on the agenda,” Chesney said.
The agenda item is set to be discussed Wednesday when commissioners meet this week. However, because the case is a "personal matter" it will be done in an open meeting.
The discussion will center around whether Lyden was licensed to be employed as the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner. 3News reported on Friday that the Texas Medical Board had terminated the physician in training permit, a requirement needed to work in the state. Lyden had moved from Florida where she also practiced.
Another issue of concern Chesney said was Lyden's “cause of death ruling” of a 27-year-old female on Jan. 3. Lyden ruled the death was caused by “blunt force injuries.” A second independent autopsy in Georgetown, Texas, proved that the ruling was “incorrect”.
Instead the death was determined to be of “natural causes.”
Chesney said that the case needs to be examined in deeper detail to ensure that everything is operating the way it needs to be.
"We need to be very out front and transparent in the discussions on the autopsy in question, so that the people all over Nueces County can be reassured that we're working on it to make sure it's done right," Chesney said. "So it'll be a little bit of a balance, personnel issues on one hand, but transparency and open and honest in open court."
3News recently learned that initially when the "incorrect" ruling was made by Lyden, that the woman was the victim of a homicide. An investigation was conducted after Lyden failed to give a proper explanation for her medical opinion.
3News was told by a source within the district attorneys office that the woman was the wife of a Corpus Christi police officer. This information is what prompted a second autopsy which found the manner of death to be of "natural causes".
This is a developing story and 3News will keep you updated as as more information becomes available.
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