From Pima County Medical Examiner's site (FAQ's): (
http://webcms.pima.gov/government/medical_examiner/
"18.
How long does it take to receive an autopsy report?
Most autopsy reports are completed and are generally available to the public within 6 to 8 weeks. In certain cases, particularly those that require extensive additional testing, this may take significantly longer.
19.
Why is it taking so long to get results?
While the actual autopsy rarely takes longer than a few hours, the follow-up analysis, studies, tests, and consultations may take several weeks. Following the completion of the autopsy, the findings must be dictated, transcribed, proofread, and then signed. Additional studies such as toxicology , histology (microscopic analysis) and microbiology cultures are not done on site and are sent out to a contracted forensic laboratory. When completed, materials are returned for interpretation and are incorporated into the final results."
The ME in Pima County deals with a lot of the bodies of illegals found in the desert. IMO, they're probably the best when identifying COD with remains exposed to the elements in Southern Arizona. Quite possibly, LE might already have the initial COD, and knew of it BEFORE they announced the positive ID. The ME had the remains for over a week at that time. The METHOD of death might still be in the investigative stage. But....there may be a bullet, a garrote, restraints, rope, indications of knife penetration, duct tape......
I think the ME was able to give LE a pretty good idea about a
general TOD and any
apparent cause within the first 48 hours of the examination. They wouldn't have a reason to go public with it if they have suspects they're concentrating on and didn't want to tip their hand. Wasn't it 9 days for an announcement of a positive ID? How many other cases have any of you followed, where there is a "Known Missing" in a area where a body is found, similar in almost every aspect, and it takes 9 days for a positive ID? And Tempe was the only jurisdiction that had a missing that was in any way similar, so you didn't have 2 or 3 other jurisdictions clamoring to the site and paperwork by AJ LE being done 2 or 3 times over in triplicate.
It seems that only the effected jurisdictions where contacted, AJ LE, Pinal CSO, and Tempe LE. All the rest are investigative support, the FBI, Pima County ME, private Search and Rescue, etc. All they need is the jurisdictional LE of the perp, if it isn't covered already by the existing agencies.
JMO, OMO, MOO.......