Ribbon Cutting on Coroner's Office and Crime Laboratory

Coroner's Office and Crime Lab Ribbon Cutting

Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco and County Commissioners are celebrating the opening of the new Hamilton County Coroner's Office and Crime Laboratory, 4477 Carver Woods Drive, Blue Ash at Summit Park. The three-story, 87,000 square-foot building includes state-of-the-art laboratories, a ballistics testing range, a radiology suite including a 64-slice CT scanner for virtual autopsies, offices, conference rooms, and training areas.

The $55 million facility is on budget, sustainably built, and is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Serving as a regional resource for law enforcement agencies, students, and educators, the Blue Ash location is easily accessible by Interstates 71, 75 and 275 and will house the latest sophisticated equipment in forensic science. The building's design allows the ability to give tours, host educational viewings and allow families privacy during what can be an emotional time.

The Blue Ash facility stands in stark contrast with the outdated Eden Ave. facility in Clifton. The old Coroner's lab was cramped, windowless, and would routinely lose power due to an overtaxed and unstable electrical grid. Additional features in the new facility include:

  • Enhanced lighting system for the benefit of scientific analysis
  • Separation of analytical areas from office areas for lab employees
  • Robust exhaust systems for autopsy suite and marijuana drying
  • Two secure video testimony rooms
  • Emergency generators to power body coolers and other critical operational areas
  • Space to meet with families in private
  • CT Scanner for less invasive investigation and ability to better preserve evidence
  • Heightened security for evidence areas
  • Laboratories built for discipline specific types of analysis

Facility Comparison

  Clifton
3159 Eden Ave. 		Blue Ash
4477 Carver Woods Drive
Age Out-of-date facility. Built in 1974, the 47-year-old building was built before DNA evidence was used in forensic science. Brand new with cutting-edge technology that benefits the region.
Square Footage 35,000 sq ft - The cramped conditions have led to inefficiencies of evidence processing as well as an increased concern for cross-contamination. 87,000 sq ft - More than doubled the work space.
Panes of glass 32 - The old morgue was windowless, cramped and dark. 1,200 - Natural light leads to a healthier work environment and more accurate evidence processing.
Autopsy Tables 3 - The old autopsy suite was cramped and constructed out of materials not suitable for a biohazardous environment. 9 - The long autopsy room has an emphasis on education with an elevated viewing area for colleagues and students.
Body Storage Capacity 50 - The morgue was routinely at capacity given the limited body storage capabilities. 94 - The new capacity also can be expanded for room up to 135 bodies.
Training Room Capacity 50 284
Parking Capacity 43 110
Digital Xray Capability (time per decedent) 1-1.5 hours 13 seconds
Body Receipt/Release Area In full public view One-way sally port provides privacy and security for delivering evidence and decedents.
Posted on 05/03/2021