The Franklin County Coroner’s office looks like any other government office. Fake flowers sit on a waiting room table. Offices with computers and file cabinets line the hallway. However, there is one significant difference: no other public office can speak for its public the way the Franklin County Coroner’s office can – that is, the dead public.
Franklin County Coroner Dr. Bradley J. Lewis and his team give a voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves by determining the cause of his or her death.
The office had some serious problems under former Franklin County Coroner Dr. William Adrion. When Lewis took office there were 38 bodies in the office that were not identified and labeled unclaimed. Lewis’ first job was to identify these bodies and reunite them with family members who did not know what happened to them. Lewis and his team released 27 of these 38 bodies to relatives. Proper burial was given to the remaining 11.
“Families were upset that their loved one was dead but happy to have an answer as to what happened to them,” he said. Through the investigation, Lewis was in contact with some of the families of the once unidentified bodies.
“You try to de-personalize your work for your own sake, but at the same time you have to remember that these people have moms and dads and sisters and brothers who cared about them,” he said.
The office is responsible for identifying bodies as quickly as possible and then locating next-of-kin. Bodies in the morgue are either waiting to be autopsied, being moved to a funeral home or in need of identification. Lewis has enacted a policy where he receives a morgue list every morning.
“I don’t care how many people are here, as long as I know why they are here and why they are still here – some are waiting for a cremation form, some are fire victims. You can be 99 percent sure of the identity of fire victims, but we have to be 100 percent, so we are waiting on dental records,” he said.
Since he began, the office has increased the number of autopsies performed, breaking previous office records. When Lewis took office he made autopsies mandatory in cases of suicide, whereas before they were not always performed.
“Suicide cases are difficult because the family, at first, may not question the cause of death but in time the family may be skeptical. I may get a call three or six months later, and the family is lost and think the death may have been a homicide. If an autopsy is performed then the science is there – which may answer the family’s questions,” Lewis said.
In homicide cases, his office works hand-in-hand with detectives and evidence technicians.
“We may find a body that was beaten and then shot and not know which one was the cause of death. Knowing if the victim could have been saved by medical attention will determine whether the defendant should be charged with aggravated homicide or murder,” said Lt. Mary Kerins, who oversees the homicide section of the Columbus Division of Police.
Lewis’ office may keep information on murders from the public if the police indicate difficulty in separating honest witnesses from those that watched the news or read the paper.
“We are very guarded when we talk to the family of a homicide victim. During an investigation, we tell the next-of-kin what we think happened and why, but at the same time, next-of-kin can also be a suspect,” he said.
John Sudimack, chief investigator for the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, said it is the unsung heroes that make his investigations successful.
“We could not do our work without the help of area dentists’ offices for dental records and prison systems for finger prints,” Sudimack said. He is always skeptical when he first arrives on a scene, he said.
“We put the story together logically, but it takes forensic science, documentation and witness testimony to produce an accurate manner of death we can justify,” he said. His role is to be a fresh set of eyes on a scene, he said.
“The scene may present something that would be overlooked if we did not have the background and training,” Sudimack said.
Homicides can be difficult situations, however the hardest situation for Lewis is the death of children.
“You do a lot of rationalizing as to why this person could not be in my family because they would have made better decisions or hung out with a different crowd, but not with children,” Lewis said. He has no sympathy for parents who see their children as a burden and not a responsibility.
“It is hardest for me because I go home and see a 2-year-old, and I may have seen a 2-year-old here. With parents sometimes you don’t say what you are really thinking … It is amazing what the dynamics are that some people are willing to sacrifice their kids,” Lewis said.
Lewis received a lot of national attention after the accidental death of 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil at a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game. He was asked to appear on “Good Morning America” and explain the injuries Cecil sustained.
“That I would not do, if it was a natural death or a accidental death we shield the family somewhat, and if it was me, I would not want someone talking about my child’s autopsy report on national television,” Lewis said.
While serving as coroner, Lewis continues to work as a family physician in Lancaster even though his salary as coroner would double if he put his practice on hold.
“I don’t think that our founding fathers ever pictured people doing nothing but being politicians for a career. I think it is bad to ever have to depend on the next election for your house payment,” Lewis said. Elected official have to make decisions that they know are right and not worry what the decisions will mean for their campaigns.
“Everyone hopes that they never have to deal with our office and I hope you don’t, too – but if you do, I want you for your peace of mind to know you will be treated in a dignified manner,” Lewis said.
The office sees about 4,000 bodies a year and performs around 900 autopsies, as well as providing assistance to 22 other Ohio counties.
