Cyril Wecht Will Not Become Allegheny County Medical Examiner

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Forensic Pathologist Cyril Wecht was forced to resign after federal agents seized records from his office and he was later indicted on corruption charges.

But after a hung jury, a mistrial, most of the charges thrown out by a judge and the remaining ones dropped, he made it clear he wanted his job back.

"It's far more than just being restored to a position that was rightfully mine and which I would be enjoying today if I had not been forced to resign – think of it that way," Wecht said.

But since then, Wecht's role has been filled by Dr. Karl Williams who lists as his accomplishments supervising the modernization of the new crime lab and clearing up a backlog of unexamined evidence that had piled up in the old one.

Fitzgerald told KDKA's Andy Sheehan recently he still hadn't decided between the two.

"We've got two very good people that interested in the position. Karl Williams by all accounts has done a pretty good job," he said. "Cyril, obviously, is a national figure, international figure, in many ways so we're lucky to have someone of his stature here in Allegheny County."

But sources say that Wecht has dropped out of the running since Fitzgerald has laid down strict rules on the running of the office.

Sources say that Wecht, who consults in major homicide cases throughout the country, would need to have that work cleared first by the county executive's office.
Wecht would not comment, saying that he will do so at a press conference on Tuesday.

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