RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN – County leaders, emergency personnel, law enforcement, and community members gathered Wednesday morning in Smyrna to break ground on the future Rutherford County Medical Examiner’s Office and Forensics Center.

The $15 million project represents a new chapter for local families who, in the wake of losing a loved one, often face long waits for answers. Construction will take place on a 10-acre site near Weakley Lane, alongside other county services such as EMS and the existing County Clerk’s Office that serves North Rutherford County. The center is expected to be complete by early 2027.

County Mayor Joe Carr emphasized the importance of having a state-of-the-art facility within Rutherford County...

Currently, families can wait months for autopsy results due to overcrowding and staff shortages at the Middle Tennessee Regional Forensic Center in Nashville, which serves 64 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Once the new center is operational, that wait could shrink to only days in some cases...

Local forensic pathologists will be able to determine causes of death in a timely manner, ensuring answers are delivered more quickly to grieving families...

The benefits go beyond families. Faster autopsy turnarounds mean law enforcement investigations can move forward without lengthy delays. That, in turn, supports the judicial system and may lead to more timely prosecutions and convictions...

When complete, the Smyrna facility will have the capacity to conduct up to 1,000 autopsies annually, significantly reducing the strain on Nashville’s overburdened center. This new tool will serve Rutherford County in a major way during unthinkable times.

The groundbreaking comes at a time of significant population growth and marks a milestone many hoped Rutherford County would never need. Still, the center promises to play a critical role in healing—providing grieving families with clarity, while also ensuring that key forensic evidence supports justice in the courtroom.

The impact of such a facility extends far beyond statistics. Every homicide victim leaves behind families and networks of friends who are deeply affected. For example, if a family of four loses one member to murder, and each parent has two sets of grandparents, that single loss directly impacts at least seven people. When multiplied across multiple cases, the ripple effect of violent crime becomes striking. Twenty homicides, for instance, could leave as many as 140 immediate family members mourning—not including extended relatives and friends whose lives are also forever changed.

The Rutherford County Medical Examiner’s Office and Forensics Center will soon stand as a vital resource—offering answers, evidence, and hope. Again, plans are in place for the center to be open during the first quarter of next year.