After a career spanning more than 30 years, Dr. Jeffrey Barnard, the chief medical examiner of Dallas County and the director of the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, has announced plans to retire.
Since assuming the dual roles in 1991, Barnard has overseen significant growth within the institute. As one of the most esteemed forensic experts in the area, he has not only conducted countless autopsies but has also been responsible for managing a large county staff and complex budgets.
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, who played a pivotal role in Barnard’s initial appointment, complimented the outgoing medical examiner for his commitment to the job.
“What sets Dr. Barnard apart is that he is hands-on and carries a caseload equal to his medical examiner team. There is no substitute to leading by example,” Price told KERA News.
The Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, which serves not only Dallas County but also neighboring areas lacking their own medical examiner, has faced its share of challenges.
“When you’re doing autopsies, and you’re overseeing everybody, and you’re dealing with the budget, and you’re dealing with the crime lab and the problems that are inherent in there — Yeah. You’re busy all the time,” Barnard said in a recent interview when asked about the workload.
Barnard’s plans for retirement include some much anticipated travel with his wife, visiting destinations like Germany, France, and Italy, according to KERA.
“She put up with a lot. It’s time for her to do stuff she wants to do,” he added.
Barnard has already put forward recommendations for his successor to the county commissioners.
He noted that his team previously managed nearly 4,800 autopsies at a peak two years ago. His last scheduled autopsy will be on Friday. His official retirement date is November 1.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a shooting took place at the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office in 2022, prompting a response from Dallas police and sheriff’s deputies. Lt. William Fritz from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department confirmed two fatalities, a man and a woman.
Price later confirmed that the shooting was a murder-suicide involving a husband and wife, with the man allegedly killing his wife, an employee at the ME’s office, before taking his own life, per Fox 4 News.