Baltimore forensic lab has become a focal point for discussions about the city’s broader health challenges, according to a new book by former OCME aide Bruce Goldfarb.
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How the office operates amid rising death rates
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Maryland performs tens of thousands of autopsies each year, employing hundreds of local residents. It is recognized nationally for its rigorous review process, which aims to prevent bodies from moving through the system without thorough examination.
Goldfarb, who once served as Executive Assistant to the chief medical examiner, describes the lab as “practically a small city in its own right.” He notes that the agency’s independence is essential: “The police may be in charge of the scene, but their authority ends at the chalk outline around a dead body… The medical examiner’s sole duty is to the deceased person. We speak for the dead.”
In Baltimore, where public‑health and safety funding have lagged for decades, the task of serving every deceased individual “justly” is increasingly difficult. The city has seen a sharp rise in unnatural deaths, prompting criticism of even the most respected government agencies.
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Public scrutiny and the limits of forensic work
Goldfarb’s book opens with the protest sparked by the autopsy report of Tyrone West, a Black man who died during a police encounter in 2013. The public outcry over that case highlights a recurring theme: the community’s demand for transparency often clashes with the forensic office’s constraints.
Early in the narrative, Goldfarb cites a Baltimore Examiner journalist who wrote, “People in Baltimore die in a lot of spectacularly violent and horrifying ways. It’s our job as reporters to cover it. By not telling the stories of the dead, we do a disservice to the community.” This sentiment reflects the tension between journalistic expectations and the laboratory’s mandate to provide categorized, factual findings rather than narrative explanations.
While the OCME’s standards are praised for their thoroughness, they also generate frustration among those seeking more detail than an autopsy report can supply. Goldfarb acknowledges that the field cannot rightfully fill in certain blanks about the cause or manner of unnatural deaths, emphasizing that the office’s role is to document, not to interpret every nuance of a death.
His dual background as an EMT and a journalist informs this perspective. He argues that the criminal‑justice system and the press often rely on forensic results, yet the reverse is not true; the medical examiner does not depend on the media to fulfill its responsibilities.
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Forensic agencies sit at the intersection of public government functions and private medical practice, placing them under constant scrutiny from journalists, police, and citizens alike. This positioning also makes them a recurring element in national debates about race and policing.
Goldfarb’s narrative ends on a note of cautious optimism. He describes the forensic lab as a “blueprint” for balancing rigorous scientific standards with the city’s pressing need for accountability.
The lab remains a vital component of the broader effort to understand and improve community wellbeing.
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