NC mom who lost 2 sons to overdose waits for answers while medical examiner battles lack of resources
Inside the home of Kelly Blaus, a poster sits on the dining room table, it reads "Forever Loved - Brothers."
It marks the death of not one, but two of her sons.
"These are their ashes," Blas said while giving a visitor a tour of her Wayne County home. "This is John and this is David."
David intentionally overdosed in 2017 at 19 years old.
"He took 90 of his dad's oxycodone," Blas said.
His mother had David's autopsy results and toxicology report in about four months.
Five years later, John accidentally overdosed inside the family home at 22. He had been battling a pill addiction off-and-on for years.
"We found the blue substance and the dollar bill on the table," said Blas. "It will mark one year on June 21."
For close to 365 days, John's body has been at the chief medical examiner's office on District Drive in Raleigh.
As of Thursday, Blas still has no autopsy results, no toxicology report and no answers about what killed her son.
"I spend every day checking my email, waiting for an email from DHHS," Blas said.
WRAL Investigates was granted exclusive access into the chief medical examiner's office and forensic toxicology lab.
"We have jurisdiction over all sudden unexpected, violent and suspicious deaths in the entire state," said Chief Medical Examiner Michelle Aurelius.
Aurelius said the ship is desperately working to stay afloat.
"When we look back at 2023, that is over 17,000 cases that have been reported to our system, and of those cases we absorbed just over 15,000," Aurelius said.
That means 15,000 families had to wait some time (or are still waiting) on a cause of death.
"In the last four years, we have had a 26% increase in cases," Aurelius said.
Drug overdoses and gun violence cases are surging, Aurelius said. Sadly, that means an increase in their workload.
"When we look back at 2016 for the fentanyl-positive deaths here in North Carolina, we've gone up 584 percent," said Aurelius.
That means a 584% increase in workload for this staff, meaning an even longer wait for people like Blas.
"That doesn't help my case, it doesn't do anything for me and my situation and my suffering," Blas said.
While there are eight places in the state autopsies can be performed, the majority of all toxicology testing is done in the medical examiner's lab. Data shows 92% of cases last year needed toxicology testing.
"When we have had a drastic increase in cases and increase in complexity, and we don't have the staff resources or space to do the work, we get behind," Aurelius said.
The medical examiner's office doesn't have the staff to go along with the uptick in cases, as right now they have approximately 15 vacant positions. They don't have competitive salaries, says Aurelius, and 45% of their workforce are temporary positions.
The backlog is a challenge for law enforcement, attorneys, the court system for pending cases and, of course, families.
"I am a human being," Blas said. "I am a mother that is sitting here waiting for closure. Those sound like excuses to me."
Aurelius said the solution needs to come from funding.
"We are relying on legislators and the state," Aurelius said. "It is taking too long and having a loved one who has gone through this, being on the other side is horrible."
Like Blas and her family, their only option is to wait and wonder.
"It puts all kinds of images and pictures in your mind," Blas said. "I just want closure."
Blas started the group JoCo Angels, a group for people who have lost loved ones to addiction or experienced addiction.
