洛杉矶县首席法医Dr. Odey Ukpo在多起引发公众关注的死亡案件中批评执法部门对尸检报告的保密做法，主张增强信息公开程度。[1]
在14岁的Celeste Rivas Hernandez案件中，Ukpo指出其父母等待数月才得知死因是"难以想象的"。[1]歌手D4vd因涉嫌谋杀Celeste而被起诉，其初步听证会本周举行。[1]此外，导演Rob Reiner及其妻子Michele Singer Reiner亦遇害，案件仍在调查中。[1]
为了强调办公室独立于执法机构，Ukpo自2023年上任以来，已将自己的头衔从"首席法医-验尸官"改为"首席法医"。[1]他认为这种独立性对防止司法偏见和确保调查公正至关重要。[1]
洛杉矶县警长部门对此回应称，安全扣押（保密决定）属于"罕见请求"，每个案件都会"仔细审查"，这些做法旨在保护敏感调查信息。[1]
全国法医协会主席Michelle A. Jordan支持Ukpo维持办公室独立性并提供透明尸检评估的努力。[1]
Dr. Odey Ukpo, Los Angeles County's chief medical examiner, has publicly criticized law enforcement's practice of withholding autopsy reports in high-profile cases, advocating for increased transparency regarding cause of death information. [1]
Ukpo's push for openness centers on several prominent investigations. In the case of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, Ukpo described it as "unimaginable" that her parents had to wait months to learn the cause of death. [1] Singer D4vd has been charged in connection with Hernandez's death, with his preliminary hearing scheduled this week. [1] The cases also involve the deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, investigations that remain ongoing. [1]
Since taking office in 2023, Ukpo has removed the title "coroner" from his official designation, changing it from "chief medical examiner-coroner" to simply "chief medical examiner." [1] This change reflects his emphasis on the office's independence from law enforcement agencies, intended to prevent judicial bias and ensure investigative fairness. [1]
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has defended its approach, stating that sealing records—a practice they characterize as a "rare request"—is reviewed carefully on a case-by-case basis to protect sensitive investigative information. [1]
Ukpo's efforts to maintain independence and provide transparent autopsy assessments have received support from Michelle A. Jordan, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners. [1]