IT COMES TO GIVING A NAME TO THE UNIDENTIFIED NEXT. IT IS RARE THAT CAMERAS GET A
LOOK INSIDE THE BEXAR COUNTY
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE.
BUT FOR THIS KSAT EXPLAINS, OUR
TEAM DID DEATH IS PART OF THE
JOB THERE SOMETIMES ANSWERING
HOW A PERSON DIED IS THE EASY
PART FINDING OUT WHO THAT
PERSON IS CAN BE MUCH HARDER.
AND TODAY WE’RE TALKING ONE ON
ONE WITH THE CHIEF MEDICAL
EXAMINER AND CHIEF
INVESTIGATOR. THERE ARE ABOUT
SOME OF THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING
WHAT THEY DO AND UNIDENTIFIED
REMAINS.
♪
REMAINS. ♪ >> THE LAST POSITION THAT A
PATIENT’S GOING TO SEE. DOCTOR
KIMBERLY MOLINA DEALS WITH
DEATH, BUT THAT’S NOT HOW SHE
WOULD DESCRIBE THIS JOB.
I WOULD SAY WE ACTUALLY DO.
WE DO FOR A LIVING GETTING A
LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND
THE LIVING. THOSE LEFT BEHIND
AND LEFT WITH QUESTIONS, BUT
THEY’RE OFTEN QUESTIONS ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENS HERE. WHAT DOES
IT MEAN WHEN SOMEONE DIES AND
ENDS UP IN THE CARE OF THE
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE?
MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT
PEOPLE HAVE IS THAT IF SOMEONE
COMES TO OUR OFFICE, DEATH
FALLS UNDER JURISDICTION, THEY
THINK THEY THINK SOMEONE KILLED
THEM, THAT IT’S A HOMICIDE THAT
BUT ALL WE DO HEAR HOMICIDES
AND WE DO ON THE SIDES HERE.
THAT IS OUR JURISDICTION.
BUT OUR JURISDICTIONS, ACTUALLY
ANY UNNATURAL DEATH, SO PARKS,
IT’S PEOPLE WHO FALL DOWN.
MAYBE HIT THEIR HATS OR CASES
WHERE WE JUST DON’T KNOW.
THEY MAY NOT BE UNDER A
DOCTOR’S CARE, MAY NOT HAVE.
>> SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL HISTORY.
NIKOLE HEALY IS CHIEF
INVESTIGATOR FOR THE MEDICAL
EXAMINER’S OFFICE INVESTIGATION
SECTION WHERE THE EYES AND EARS
OF THE DOCTORS AT THE ACTUAL
FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST AT THE
SCENES. SHE AND HER TEAM
RESPOND TO THE SCENE OF A
DEATH. LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY
INVESTIGATE IF SOMEONE DIED AS
THE RESULT OF A CRIME. SHE
WANTS TO KNOW WHY THEY DIED.
THAT’S NUMBER ONE. WHY DID THE
PERSON DIED AND ALSO WHO ARE
THEY? UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOES
HAPPEN WHERE CASES TAKE, YOU
KNOW, WEEKS, MONTHS, EVEN YEARS
FOR US TO REALLY FIGURE OUT
WHAT HAPPENED.
>> HAVE THEY EVER BEEN
FINGERPRINTED? LOWER ON PAPER
PRINTS ARE LIKE TO KNOW WHO
THEIR DENTIST SAYS. YES, THEY
WERE SEEN. HEAR ME CAN TAKE
X-RAYS AND SEE IF THEY HAVE
SORT OF ANY IMPLANTED HARDWARE,
FOR INSTANCE, A PACEMAKER OR
MAYBE THEY’VE HAD A HIP
REPLACEMENT AND TRY TO TRACK
PEOPLE DOWN THAT WAY. WE CAN
NATIONAL CONTACT THE
MANUFACTURER OF THESE DEVICES.
>> AND ASKED THEM TO ASSIST US
AS TO WHAT HOSPITAL DID YOU
SENSE TOO? WHAT DATE WAS AT
NEW FRACTURE WHEN HE WAS AN
IMPLANTED. PEOPLE SOMETIMES
WILL HAVE TATTOOS
>> SAY WHO THEY ARE AT LEAST
GIVE US FAMILY MEMBERS. WHAT
HAPPENED TO THE HEAD OF DEBT IN
NONE OF THOSE OPTIONS WORK
CURRENTLY WORKING, PROBABLY
20 ACTIVE CASES WITHIN THE PAST
10 YEARS, 20 PEOPLE WHOSE NAMES
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE
DOES NOT KNOW. BUT HE’S STILL
WORKING TO FIND OUT. SO THEY
TURNED TO THE INTERNET ON
5/29/2021, THE BODY OF AN
UNIDENTIFIED MAN WAS DISCOVERED
8,900 BLOCK OF MISSION ROAD IN
SAN ANTONIO. THIS SPRING, THE
MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE
REDESIGNED ITS WEBSITE,
HIGHLIGHTING THOSE UNIDENTIFIED
CASES SHARING WHAT IS KNOWN
ABOUT THE PERSON. HE WAS 5
FOOT, 8 INCHES TALL.
>> AND WHAT ABOUT 140 POUNDS?
HE HAD A TATTOO ON HIS UPPER
LEFT ARM SHOWING A FLAG.
>> THIS IS ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR
TOOL BOX THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE 20
YEARS AGO, RIGHT? 10 YEARS AGO.
NOW WE HAVE IT. LET’S USE IT.
ECH CASE INCLUDES A FORENSIC
SKETCH OF WHAT IT’S BELIEVED
THAT PERSON LOOKED LIKE THESE
FORENSIC ARTISTS ARE NOT
NECESSARILY LOOKING AT A FACE
WHEN THEY ARE DRAWING THE
SKETCHES. THEY HAVE TO PUT
TOGETHER DETAILS THAT MAY NOT
BE THERE. IT’S GOING TO BE CASE
BY CASE SOMETIMES THEY COULD DO
A SKETCH. SOMETIMES THEY GO
INTO EVEN
>> MORE FORENSIC ART WORK WHERE
THEY’RE JUST GETTING DETAILS.
INFORMATION, MOLDS AND GOING
FROM THERE. IT’S THOSE
UNIDENTIFIED CASES THAT SO
OFTEN STICK WITH THIS TEAM.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE CAUSE AND
MANNER OF DEATH, EVEN IF YOU
COULD PROVIDE CLOSURE TO THE
FAMILY, YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE
THE FAMILY TO PROVIDE THE
CLOSURE TO AN EXTRAORDINARY
EFFORT TO IDENTIFY REMAINS CAME
IN JUNE WHEN 53 MIGRANTS DIED
AFTER BEING TRAPPED IN THE BACK
OF A SWELTERING 18 WHEELER.
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE
WORKED WITH CONSULATES FROM
MEXICO, HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA
TO IDENTIFY THOSE WHO PASSED.
>> AND JUST A MONTH BEFORE
THAT, THE HORRIFIC SHOOTING AT
ROBB ELEMENTARY IN UVALDE, THE
BEXAR COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER’S
OFFICE AGAIN WAS TASKED WITH
RESPONDING IN THE AFTERMATH OF
THAT TRAGEDY. DOCTORS FROM
OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE WERE
CALLED IN TO HELP WIN.
>> PEOPLE COME INTO OUR CARE.
THERE’S NOT A CHOICE, RIGHT?
THE FAMILIES DON’T ACTUALLY
HAVE A CHOICE THERE. SOME PART
OF THE MANDATE, THE LEGAL
MANDATE THAT HAS BROUGHT THEM
INTO OUR CARE. WE ABSOLUTELY
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES
UNDERSTAND THAT WE’RE GOING
TO TREAT THEIR LOVED
ONES WITH.
>> DIGNITY, WITH RESPECT TO
POINT, TO GET THE ANSWERS THAT
THEY DESERVE, EVEN IF IN SOME
CASES IT TAKES YEARS. THIS IS
SOMEONE’S LOVED ONE, THEIR SON,
THEIR MOTHER, THEIR DAUGHTER.
>> THEY HAVE A NAME. NOW.
THIS IS OUR DAY AT THE OFFICE
IS WHAT WE DO THAT EACH CALL IT
THAT FAMILY’S WORST DAY IN
THEIR LIFE. I DON’T THINK WE
SEE THE DEATH ALL DAY. WE SEE
THE LIVING.
>> AND YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION
ON UNIDENTIFIED CASES RIGHT NOW
BY GOING TO BEAR DOT ORG, SLASH
UNIDENTIFIED. THAT’S WHERE YOU
CAN SEE THOSE FORENSIC SKETCHES
AND INFORMATION ON WHAT IS
KNOWN ABOUT THAT PERSON.
WE HAVE THAT LINK AND THE STORY