WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — It’s not unusual for Williamson County Justice of the Peace Evelyn McLean to drive more than 40 miles in one night, going from the southern edge of her county to the north, to respond to death inquests.
McLean is one of four justices of the peace who determine cause and manner of death, since the county has no medical examiner of its own. The justices shared concerns of juggling court dockets and death investigations over the last year with KXAN investigators.
Williamson County has been in the epicenter of a debate over whether, and when, counties should establish a medical examiner’s office. And that contentious topic is once again set to play out in the next legislative session in January.
Explore KXAN’s project about Texas’ unique system for investigating deaths, and how it played into the questions that persist about the 1965 strangulation of a young girl.