Gwinnett Opens New Morgue, Coroner's Office

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A new morgue and medical examiner's office will mean improved service to crime victims, Gwinnett County officials say.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday to open the new, $5.7 million facility, at 320 Hurricane Shoals Rd. NE in Lawrenceville.

At 15,000 square feet, the facility will put more space, improved technology and more efficient administrative capabilities at the 10-person medical examiner's office's disposal.

"The Medical Examiner’s Office is a key link in the criminal justice process," said Gwinnett County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash. "It is imperative for the victims, their families and for us all that the medical examiner’s Office has the tools and the facilities they need to find the facts behind deaths that are suspicious or unattended. And for the public, this new building has features that are more sympathetic and respectful to visitors."

The facility, paid for with special-purpose, local option sales tax revenues, replaces two separate locations — a small morgue located within another county facility and a rented administrative office located a half-mile away.

The new building was designed to achieve LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

District 4 Commissioner John Heard said the recently completed structure reflects the foresight of Gwinnett citizens to invest in public buildings and infrastructure.

"This is something we really needed, and it would have been much harder to pay for if not for the SPLOST approved by the voters," Heard said. "The new building incorporates many ideas from the medical examiner’s staff so that it will meet their needs going into the future."

The new morgue space has three state-of-the-art autopsy stations, including a separate station for cases requiring isolation. It has enhanced medical and laboratory equipment, and space for evidence processing and storage.

The former morgue had only one autopsy station with limited medical and laboratory equipment. The new morgue can accommodate 50 bodies, whereas the former morgue had room for just four.

In addition, the new building has a conference room for family and visitors, a children’s area and an outdoor respite area. It offers a blend of natural and artificial lighting. Unlike the previous location, this one also has a library and research area, and county-owned computers integrated with the county’s network.

"This new facility will give us additional capabilities and allow us to function more efficiently," said Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Carol Terry. "This will benefit not just county law enforcement investigations but local governments and the state as well. It’s a facility to be proud of."

The Medical Examiner’s Office conducts death investigations in accordance with the Georgia Death Investigation Act, including postmortem examinations, to determine cause and manner of death in cases where the death is unattended or suspicious.

In 2016, more than 1,600 deaths were reported to the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office and approximately 379 examinations, including 185 full autopsies, were performed.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County