FWKCC presents ‘Cold Case’ stories
During the series, Dr. Darinka Mileusnic, chief medical examiner whose focus is on forensic toxicology and pediatric forensic pathology, and Chris Thomas, chief administrative officer focusing on the center’s daily operations and communications, related stories depicting how their office was able to solve crimes.
“There is a lot going on in Knox County and surrounding counties, affecting very real families and very real lives,” said Julie Blaylock, FWKCC president/CEO. “The work of Knox County Regional Forensic Center is second to none.”
“We don’t solve the cases in the way you’re thinking we solve cases,” Thomas said. “That’s where our good friend, (Knox County) Sheriff Tom Spangler, comes in.
“His detectives figure out who did it,” Thomas added. “… All our job is to figure out how they died.”
Thomas shared three cases where a body was found, but they turned into cold cases until the fingerprints could be matched or DNA became available. “There are a lot of people missing and no one’s looking,” he said.
The building in which the center operates “is a nice building, but we have outgrown it in the last three years,” Thomas said, adding the influx of cases came about, not necessarily from COVID, but from the overdose epidemic.
“The world exploded with fentanyl, and the case load went up,” Thomas said. “But our numbers are still minute compared to places like Nashville and Memphis.”
He said there were 808 cases of fentanyl-related deaths.
The center investigates deaths of someone who died at home or if there is an unnatural or sudden death. It also serves as the forensics center, where all autopsies are performed for such deaths as suicides, homicides, drug-related deaths and reviewing hospital deaths, among others.
Going to a crime scene, he related the challenges his team encounters, such as angry, upset family members, the mess of hoarders, dogs and other dangers.
Thomas said he recently got good news: a new building thanks to “a state grant and funding from Knox County government.” he said.
Attendant Ange Schroeder with SERVPRO, a company that does disaster and crime scene cleanup, has seen the hoarding and other challenges.
“I think the speakers were fascinating,” she said. “They do a lot of hard work, as an organization, and the services they provide are just critical.
“But, it’s really good to learn more about what our tax dollars do,” she added.
