Carmelita Johnson went missing in Chicago in January 2010, and although her body was recovered from Lake Michigan and placed in a morgue three months later, because the family wasn’t notified,the body remained unidentified for an additional 14 months.

Carmelita’s family is now calling for Cook County’s Medical Examiner, Dr. Nancy Jones, to step down and they have filed a lawsuit over the way their loved one’s body was handled.

“We could have had some answers. Now we are just left with a broken heart and unanswered questions,” Carmelita’s daughter, Leslie Jackson told NBC.

In a separate interview with ABC, she said the situation is devastating.

“A lot of things could have been prevented. We don’t know the cause of death, but if the M.E.’s office had done their jobs, we could’ve had some type of closure.”

Leslie said she and her family want justice not only for Carmelita, but also for other families who have been impacted similarly. Judging by reports, this situation may not be uncommon at the Connor’s office.

According to the Huffington Post, last month, Toni Preckwinkle announced an imminent “overhaul” of the county morgue. Recent reports charge that bodies are being piled up unceremoniously and housed in other “horrendous conditions.” Toni’s mandates include limitations in the amount of time bodies can be left at the morgue, as well as “progressive disciplinary measures” for employees whose job performance is not measuring up.

Hopefully, seeing justice in one form or another will help Carmelita’s family get some amount of closure.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Did You Know They Were Engaged?
• Quiet On The Set! Celeb’s Who Secretly Hooked Up At Work
• On The Brink Of A Break Up ? Make Sure You Don’t Do It This Way…
• Dangerously In Love: Warning Signs To Protect Your Heart From Harming You
• Neon Sense! Colorful and Playful Pieces to Brighten Up Winter Days
• LORD, Take Me Now! Signs You Hate Your Job
• How to Choose a Hairstyle That Fits Your Face
• Hair Q&A: Protein Treatments and Double Heat

A Fulton County Medical Examiner in Buckhead has confirmed that a body found Monday evening is that of missing woman Stacey English, 36.

The ME finished the initial phase of an autopsy on the body Tuesday night, but didn’t confirm that the remains belonged to English until this morning. According Stacey’s family, their daughter received updated dental X-rays two days before she went missing and there was a delay obtaining the new records. The initial autopsy has not revealed her cause of death, and the medical examiner said more tests are needed.

Stacey’s body was discovered in an advanced stage of decomposition and was wedged under a tree only about a mile from the spot where police found her car abandoned still running Dec. 27.

When police notified Stacey’s family that a body was found on Monday, her aunt,  Bernice English Hurks, said finding her niece’s body would be a relief in some ways. “The best thing that we could do right now is to find her regardless of what circumstances are, what conditions are, the best thing to do is to find her.”

At least the family doesn’t have to wait in worry any longer, but hopefully police will be able to give the family more answers surrounding her sad death soon.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Sisters In Hiding: Not So Famous Sisters of Famous Celebs
• Delusions Of A Thirsty Chick
• Things Black Mothers Say
• Celebrity Mistresses: The Good, The Bad, and The Trifling
• 7 Curl Defining Products to Get Your Curls and Coils Poppin’
• Family Ties: 7 Rappers Who Finally Grew Up
• He Loves Me: Men Who Just Adore Their Wives
• What Exactly Makes Something Ghetto?

(Washington Examiner) — The D.C. medical examiner’s office has lost its national accreditation because the agency’s chief lacks board certification, weakening the prosecution of criminal cases in court and potentially keeping the agency from moving into the city’s $220 million forensics lab set to open next year, city officials said.  The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is tasked with conducting autopsies in homicide cases. It also does the urine analysis for suspected drunk drivers in the District ?– the only means available for testing blood-alcohol levels as the city works to revive its alcohol breath-test program, which was shut down in February 2010 because the police department poorly calibrated the equipment.  Now that the long-troubled agency has lost its accreditation, defense attorneys can more easily attack in court the evidence that comes out of the office.

Read More…