Georgia Investigation Bureau closing Central Regional Crime Lab in Macon

The Georgia Investigation Bureau is closing its Central Regional Crime Lab in Macon.

Joining us for 41nbc news at 6 i'm tucker sargent.

Shelby coates will join us shortly.

Our top story tonight at 6: the georgia investigation bureau is closing its medical examiner's office in macon.

The chief medical examiner, regional coroners and funeral service members discussed the closing.

41nbc's jatrissa wooten has more on what it means for the community.

Chief medical examiner for the gbi, johnathan eisenstat, says the lab doesn't have enough pathologists following the retirement of the regional medical examiner dr. kraft.

"we looked at what we can do to keep the macon office running.

Could we get more part time, well i don't have any applicant for part time" he says there aren't any qualified doctors at the gbi headquarters.

According to eisenstat, to be qualified, you need to have worked at the headquarters for at least 5 years.

"it takes 5 to 10 years after training to fully be engulfed in the job to be able to work on a more independent basis" macon-bibb coroner leon jones says this will disrupt the industry by disappointing families, increasing the workload for the atlanta lab, and increasing transportation cost.

Sot: leon jones (19) "we already have a delay in death certificates, the average time now is three months.

With the addition of 37 countys it's probably going to be 6 to 7 months.

So no death certificates being signed without the cause of death, delay in funeral arrangements" jones also says the budget for his office will increase.

According to albany coroner, michael fowler, transporting bodies from albany to atlanta instead of macon will impact his offices budget too.

"going to atlanta is going to cost me $550 dollars if we have to leave it then go back another day to get it.

Its going to cost almost $1000 per case" fowler says transporting to macon