CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Embattled Nueces County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Adel Shaker has announced that he is retiring.
Nueces County commissioners voted to accept his resignation, submitted to them back on Jan. 27, during Wednesday's regularly scheduled commissioner's court meeting. This comes just weeks after Shaker fired his deputy medical examiner, Dr. Sandra Lyden, for working without a license to practice in Texas.
Shaker asked to retire on Oct. 31, but did say he could work beyond that date. However, commissioners said they could ask him to retire early. They requested outside council to handle the terms of Shaker's retirement and return to the court with that information.
Some have questioned Shaker's judgement after the District Attorney's Office discovered his deputy medical examiner, Dr. Lyden, was operating without a license to practice in Texas. Shaker fired her on Jan. 14.
In Shaker's letter of resignation, he notes that after 35 years of serving as a medical examiner forensic pathologist -- eight of which he spent serving here in Nueces County -- that it is time for him to retire. He states that he will complete any remaining autopsy reports and death certificates so as not to leave incomplete work for whoever takes over.
Shaker's attorney Chris Gale said, "Truly, I see no reason for him to retire except that he is tired of all the drama and politics," adding that Shaker has done nothing wrong.
Shaker's retirement will leave the Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office without any full-time medical examiner. Their office currently serves 18 counties in South Texas.
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