CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Nueces County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Rajesh Kannan has submitted his resignation after 14 months in the position, marking the latest leadership change for an office that has faced years of scrutiny and cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal settlements.
The Nueces County Commissioner's Court will consider accepting Kannan's resignation at this week's meeting. The court will also consider revisions to job descriptions for the Medical Examiner and Director of Operations positions.
Nueces County Judge Connie Scott told KRIS 6 News there will be no interruption in services.
Kannan was appointed to the position on November 15, 2023, following the resignation of Dr. Timothy Fagen, who served only one year before stepping down.
The medical examiner's office has experienced instability since early 2022, when an investigation led to criminal charges against then-Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Adel Shaker and Chief Deputy ME Sandra Lyden. Shaker was charged with multiple violations of the occupation code, while Lyden faced seven counts of tampering with a government document, 13 counts of violating the Medical Practice Act with financial harm, and one count of misrepresentation regarding entitlement to practice medicine. The cases were never indicted.
As 6 Investigates first reported in 2022, Lyden did not have a license to practice medicine in Texas.
In February 2024, Nueces County Commissioners voted to settle a lawsuit filed by 32 South Texas families against the county for claims arising at the Medical Examiner's Office, agreeing to a $300,000 settlement. The settlement included an apology from the county and promises of "fundamental changes in the policies and procedures at the Medical Examiner's Office to prevent such missteps from ever happening again."
Fagen was hired in July 2022 to lead the office following the criminal investigation. However, Fagan resigned just days after Director of Operations Forrest Mitchell retired in August 2023, citing what he called Fagen's "unethical" behavior in a letter obtained by 6 Investigates.
Mitchell alleged Fagen asked him to remove significant portions of a financial analysis regarding out-of-county autopsies. Documents showed Fagen conducted autopsies less than 30% of the time, requiring the county to pay more than $273,274 in fiscal year 2023 for additional coverage from deputy medical examiners and contract doctors.
Following Fagen's resignation, the county suspended all out-of-county autopsies, affecting 18 counties with interlocal agreements. Commissioner Brent Chesney said at the time that the county was not making money on the service and faced liability concerns.
