Dallas County's chief medical examiner retires after nearly 40 years of helping solve crimes

Dallas County's chief medical examiner and director of the county's Institute of Forensics – whose responsibilities include autopsies of the county's dead and DNA testing – will retire this fall, county officials said Wednesday.

Jeffrey Barnard, who joined the department in 1987 and has led it since 1991, told county commissioners he would retire on Nov. 1. He had already informed the county court of his intention to retire last year so that a successor could be found, according to a news release.

“As you get older, you start to think about the sacrifices you’ve made for your career, the things you’ve put off, and you realize there’s no guarantee of tomorrow,” Barnard said. The Dallas Morning News in an email. “My particular profession brings with it a certain perspective on the brevity of life and the reality of sudden death.

“I believe I have had a rewarding career and have served the taxpayers of Dallas County and our other constituents well.”

Barnard's career includes the Gulf conflict, the Oct. 17, 1991, mass shooting at a Luby's cafeteria in Killeen, the bus fire during Hurricane Rita in 2005, the West Fertilizer Plant explosion in 2013, the July 7, 2016, ambush of police officers in downtown Dallas and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, the press release said.

Many of these sensational and sensitive autopsies were performed by him, the press release states.

“Few people in public service have had as great an impact as Jeffrey Barnard,” Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins said in a statement. “He has brought closure to thousands of grieving families and has been a leader in crime solving for nearly 40 years.”

Under Barnard's leadership, the county's Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences (SWIFS) expanded its staff from three to 14 forensic scientists, the release said. Barnard also improved the office's DNA testing program, reduced turnaround time for sex offender kits and created a review process for unsolved cases.

Since he took office, the number of deaths reported to the medical examiner's office has increased by 60 percent and the number of autopsies has doubled during that time: from 2,340 in 1991 to a peak of 4,797 in 2022, the press release said.

“I have never sought to publicize my office's many accomplishments, so much of our valuable work goes unnoticed by the public,” Barnard said. “However, I am proud of the improvements we have made and the accomplishments of my wonderful team. I have always focused on improving services so that our community benefits in a cost-effective manner.”

According to the press release, Barnard plans to spend his retirement writing, fishing, traveling and spending time with his family.