“It’s been almost nine months”: The medical examiner refuses to release her husband’s belongings

ROCHESTER, NY – Nine months after Pamela Griffin found her husband dead outside their home, his cause of death is still unknown. As a result, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office is keeping everything that was on his body and in his pockets at the time of his death, including his wallet and RIT-class ring.

“He looks like he’s sleeping,” Griffin said, noting that she didn’t see any signs of trauma on her husband’s body. Frank Griffin had a history of heart attacks.

Griffin’s body was released from the medical examiner’s office 11 days later, but because the cause of his death is still “pending further investigation,” the county is not willing to release his personal assets. Pamela claims that without providing the cause of death, she cannot claim compensation.

“I contact their office frequently and get the same response every time,” Griffin said. “It means we will send you a letter.”

Griffin, however, claims she never received the letter. “They told me the case was pending investigation. And I said, “What are they investigating?”

County officials say, “While we understand and sympathize with the family… If it is unclear whether a death was natural, standard procedure is to hold any items found on an individual’s person until they are no longer considered potential evidence.”

For another family, it’s a diamond ring passed down from generation to generation and kept in the medical examiner’s office. In April, Pam Cleary’s sister died alone in her home in Riga. Her body was released a week and a half later, but because her death remains “pending further investigation,” the county is seizing her personal assets, including her mother’s diamond engagement ring.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: – The email from the district attorney says the ring is evidence.

Of course: “Normal.”

Brian: “Proof of what?”

Of course: “We don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to us.”

Currently, in Monroe County, it takes six to 12 months to determine the cause of death. Erie County told News10NBC it will take one to three months. Berkeley compared the data and found that the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office was handling three times as many cases.

Monroe County sent Berkeley the following statement:

“We understand and sympathize with the family, but it is important for viewers to know that the primary responsibility of the medical examiner’s office is to create records commemorating the death of each person reported to the office.

These discoveries impact many people and entities, necessitating their finalization in order to take appropriate posthumous actions and decisions. In short, there are many stakeholders involved, families, insurance companies and more, but the main focus is on the person who died and the exact manner of death.

If it is unclear whether a death was natural, standard procedure is to hold any items found on a person until they are no longer considered potential evidence. Again, once the cause of death has been determined and the investigative authorities are satisfied, the process of returning personal items through the county treasury in the normal course of business begins. Due to New York State law, we cannot release any details of the case as death investigations are strictly confidential.”

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