Looking for answers
Review of Office of medical Examiner due soon
It has been 16 months since murder charges against Thomas Michel were thrown out because the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) couldn’t find the brain of the victim, Michel’s infant son Matthew Rich.
Details of an external review of the OCME, spurred by this case, are expected soon.
October 2013
After the death of fourmonth-old Matthew Rich, his father, Thomas George Michel, is charged with second-degree murder. Matthew’s autopsy report says he had received a blunt force trauma to the head. His brain is stored as evidence in the care of the OCME.
June 2014
Thomas Michel is released from custody on a $1,000 bail and $1,500 in sureties, as well as 17 conditions.
(RELATED: Sheshatshiu man accused of killing infant son released on bail
http://www.thetelegram. com/news/local/2014/6/18/ sheshatshiu-man-accused-of-killing-infan-3768331.html)
December 2015
Crown prosecutor Elaine Reid tells the court that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner could not find the brain that was to be used as a key piece of evidence. It is believed to have been discarded as medical waste.
Judge George Murphy calls the situation unfortunate, but grants leave to withdraw the charge.
Thomas Michel is set free. (RELATED: Murder charge dropped
http://www.thetelegram. com/news/local/2015/12/10/ mu rde r -cha rge - dropped-4371508.html)
August 2016
Justice Minister Andrew Parsons releases the terms of reference for an external review into the OCME. Dr. Matthew Bowes, the Chief Medical Examiner for Nova Scotia, is put in charge of the review. The Department of Justice and Public Safety says the review would begin within weeks and would be complete in several months.
November 2016
Bowes visits Newfoundland and Labrador as part of his review. He says the loss of evidence was human error. He cites understaffing and physical infrastructure as two of the areas for improvement his team has identified.
Parsons calls the issue a priority for the department.
(RELATED: Independent reviewer says chief medical examiner’s office is understaffed, vulnerable to human error
http://www.thetelegram. com/news/local/2016/11/16/ independent-reviewer-sayschief-medical-4687484.html)
April 21, 2017
Parsons tells The Telegram that Bowes’ report is expected to arrive in the next month.
“The Department looks forward to reviewing the report and recommendations,” Parsons says.
“As Dr. Bowes stated when he was here for a site visit, many of his recommendations could be procedural and therefore it’s important to have his full report of recommendations before determining what changes will be made to the office. I expect that the report will provide us with guidance on a phased approach for implementation, noting critical areas that will need to be addressed.”
What we want to know: How did the OCME misplace Matthew Rich’s brain? What steps will be taken to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again?