New Williamson County budget will add death investigator roles
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas - This week, the Williamson County Commissioners court approved a $635.1 million budget that will bring nearly 50 new positions to the county, including four new death investigators.
"How it will work basically, there is someone who passes away, and under Texas law, there is a criminal investigation in that death inquest which is handled by local law enforcement like the sheriff’s office or perhaps a city police department, but a justice of the peace is the only person who can sign off on their death certificate to determine their cause and manner of death," says Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell.
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Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell says this year, the current Justice of the Peace has handled close to 1,100 death investigations.
"It was putting immense stress upon our JPs who literally were up 24 hours a day trying to handle the death and the dying and suddenly turning around and putting a robe on and being in the courtroom. Our death investigators will be able to respond to scenes and report back to the justice of the peace and gather the information that is necessary," says Judge Gravell.
The Williamson County judge says there is more than $300,000 budgeted for the death investigator positions that are not yet filled.
"When we begin to do the death investigators, it is going to be a 24-hour job on day 1, so our goal is to start October and stand up fully operational by January 1. I am also hopeful that our death investigators will have the opportunity to meet and interact with families," says Judge Gravell.