AUSTIN (KXAN) – KXAN’s ongoing investigation into Texas’ outdated death inquest system began with questions about how justices of the peace make some of the most consequential decisions after a person dies. In many Texas counties, justice of the peace – who are not required to have medical training – determine causes of death, raising concerns about the accuracy and consistency of the system.
The investigation has brought those concerns into focus through cases like that of 13-year-old Daynon Lewis, whose 1965 death exposed troubling questions that remain relevant decades later. KXAN’s reporting has found a system in need of greater medical expertise and oversight, while efforts to reform the process have faced challenges at the state Capitol…