Family left in dark after over status of loved one's death certificate status 3 months after Beryl

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A grieving family is wondering what the hold-up is at the medical examiner's office after it's taken months to receive a finalized death certificate.

It's causing other delays for the family working to close out their loved one's estate.

Barbara Sturgis' family is frustrated and is wondering what is taking so long to give them a cause and manner of death for their loved one, who died three months ago during Hurricane Beryl.

"It just adds unnecessary stress to the families right on top of the loss of a loved one," Jonathan Sturgis, the victim's son, said.

RELATED: 7 deaths confirmed in Hurricane Beryl's destructive path in Houston and surrounding areas

Losing his mother, Barbara has not been easy. The family says she went into cardiac arrest at her independent living facility in the uncomfortable July heat days after Beryl hit.

"Pretty shocking when it happened. We weren't expecting it at all," her son said.

A woman who was loving, compassionate, and loved working to preserve Native American sites as an amateur archeologist.

It's now October, and Barbara's family says her death certificate is still not finalized, as her manner of death remains listed as pending.

"We've got a backlog. That's all I'm being told at this point," Sturgis said.

When ABC13 asked if that was enough of an answer for their family, Sturgis responded: "It's why I reached out to you at ABC13 to see if you can help contact the medical examiner's office's better answer."

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the medical examiner's office, sent Eyewitness News this response after repeated requests for comment:

"We are not sure where the family is getting their information from. This death has been classified. The death certificate is actually handled by the state, not the medical examiner's office. Every month we receive over 400 cases for postmortem examination. Each case that is examined at the HCIFS requires a full analysis of multiple variables, including scene investigation, witness reports, examination findings, and ancillary laboratory testing, including toxicology and microscopy. Compilation of all these data points takes a significant amount of time and is variable from case to case. Complex cases, such as this one, may require extra time for the cause of death to be determined."

Sturgis, on Monday evening, tells Action 13 he called the medical examiner's office after that statement was sent to the news station, and he was told his mother's final cause was updated Monday afternoon.

SEE ALSO: 3 heat-related deaths confirmed after Beryl's damage in Harris Co., medical examiner's office says

"Coincidentally, when you inquired and they replied," he said.

Sturgis says the funeral home also called him Monday and said they also received a call from the medical examiner's office that his mother's case had been amended.

Sturgis says their family is trying to understand the scope of the issue on how many other cases aside from his mothers remain unresolved with a pending cause of death at the medical examiner's office.

ABC13 has requested more information from the medical examiner's office and is awaiting a response.

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