KINGMAN – Its architect has submitted application with the City of Kingman for the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office project. Rob Sampson of Selberg and Associates filed for a building permit involving the structure previously used as a sign shop near the old County Public Works building.
Requests to see the application submission have initially been rebuffed. Sampson said he’d share the material if his client, the county, provided authorization but he did not do so. Development Services Director Jason Moquin said the city would not make the application public, absent a formal public records request, even though the $4 million project is funded with public tax dollars and is being processed with public tax dollars.
Moquin cited various reservations about disclosing whatever information is contained in the submission. He noted the plans are copywritten and that he has security concerns due to last month’s breakin at the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in Phoenix during which a suspect allegedly disturbed 11 corpses and engaged in sex acts involving four dead men.
“Anytime we have a secured facility, I have to stop and give pause to make sure that we are actually releasing documents that can be released,” Moquin said by email. “Given the most recent event that took place in Maricopa County in regards to their morgue being broken into, I have even a greater pause and a greater concern.”
Moquin said he’d check with City Attorney Carl Cooper on the matter, but that did not trigger disclosure.
The county has contracted its medical examiner services for decades and the proposition of bringing the operation in-house has been repeatedly discussed and debated for well more than 10 years. The county intends to renovate the dilapidated brick building at 3220 Horizon Boulevard for a Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office to be placed in operation by July 2027.
“We’re going to make it happen,” said District 4 Supervisor Don Martin. “That morgue is on the minds of several supervisors and we are committed to building it. We want it done.”
County Human Resources Director Juliana Demers said 11 positions envisioned for the operation are included in the spending plan proposed for adoption June 15.
“Following budget adoption, our plan is to begin recruitment efforts, starting with the Forensic Operations Manager Position, Demers said. “We anticipate onboarding this role by January, followed by recruitment and onboarding of the Forensic Pathologist.”
Other positions to be filled include seven medicolegal death investigators, a forensic autopsy technician and an office specialist.
