Questions about the lack of an autopsy on a dead infant have once again called into question the Medical Examiner’s Office in Ector County.

Talvis Shetalvion Da’don Redic was born Sept. 26 and died Oct. 21, testing positive for cocaine nine days after birth. According to previous stories, Dr. Ronald Bennett with Medical Center Hospital pronounced the infant died of natural causes.

But now District Attorney Bobby Bland is reportedly upset that no autopsy was conducted on the child in connection with a criminal investigation.

Ector County Judge Susan Redford said Bland was not happy with the way the situation was handled.

“He wants the commissioners’ court to fire Shirley Standefer because she did not order an autopsy on the case,” Redford said. “(He thinks) there’s a dead baby, there should be an autopsy.”

Bland said he takes the issue of justice seriously.

“When a child dies, I want to make sure that there is justice for that child. And I tend to get passionate when I’m seeking justice,” Bland said. “It’s terrible when anyone dies as a result of criminal activity; it’s especially terrible when it’s an infant.”

In the initial Odessa American story about the death on Dec. 18, Standefer said her office had not been asked to investigate the death.

Two days later, in a Dec. 20 OA story, Standefer said an autopsy could not be done because the placenta and amniotic fluid had already been thrown away.

Redford said the Medical Examiner’s Office was not notified until a couple days after the baby’s death.

However, Sgt. Robin Smith with the Odessa Police Department said the Medical Examiner’s Office actually investigated the death before OPD officers even responded to the hospital. Smith said the initial investigation and request for an autopsy all occurred on Oct. 21, the day the baby died.

Smith said after OPD requested an autopsy, the Ector County Medical Examiner’s Office contacted the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, which does the autopsies for the county.

“All that was transpiring that day,” Smith said.

When police were told an autopsy would not be ordered, Smith said, that was the end of the conversation.

Now, he said, although it was not a direct result of this case, the police department would consider speaking with Bland as one possible remedy to a situation where they felt an autopsy should be done.

“We wouldn’t request an autopsy unless it’s for evidentiary purposes,” Smith said.

Bland said the issue is more complicated than simply stating he wants Standefer fired.

“That’s not completely accurate,” Bland said. “That’s not the whole story. But beyond that it would be improper for me to discuss it at this time.”

Bland and Redford could be seen talking in Redford’s office earlier in the week, and Redford confirmed the discussion was about the Redic case.

When he first discovered there was no autopsy, Bland said he took the information to Redford, who suggested he go to the commissioners.

Commissioners discussed the problems during executive session at their Monday meeting, and decided to not take any action against Standefer.

“We were satisfied with the information (Standefer) provided to us and that she took the proper course of action,” Redford said.

Bland said he brought the issue to the commissioners because he’s not so sure the proper course was taken.

“I still, as district attorney, must address any concerns I have regarding investigations and things that might affect prosecution or justice,” Bland said. “All I’m doing right now is looking at the facts of the case and determining whether we need to proceed from there.”

Standefer defended herself, however, and said she wants justice done just as much as Bland.

Although she directed comment about specifics on the case to Medical Examiner Dr. Anne Acreman, Standefer said she did her job.

“I’ve been over here all these years, since ’06, and I don’t know what the issue is. And I want justice probably as much as Mr. Bland does. I assure you of that,” Standefer said. “The way I feel, we’re on the same team and I’m not going to do anything to mess up his prosecution.”

Acreman said the final call when it comes to autopsies rests with the Medical Examiner’s Office, and while the investigators are allowed to consult her, they don’t always.

In this particular incident, Sondra Woolf with the help of Standefer made the determination to not seek an autopsy, Acreman said.

“It would have been nice if I’d been brought into this a little bit quicker, but I don’t have a disagreement with the way it was handled, for sure,” Acreman said.

It’s not unheard of to have a body exhumed for an autopsy when one wasn’t originally performed, Acreman said, but in this case it would be impossible because the body was cremated.

Acreman said she anticipates the issue could possibly go before a grand jury.

She has no interest in becoming involved in the politics of the disagreements, Acreman said, but would be happy to act as a medium between law enforcement and the Medical Examiner’s Office if that would help allay tensions between the various agencies.

“I understand the biggest concern out there right now is for the well-being of the children out there right now,” Acreman said.

Investigators in the Medical Examiner’s Office respond to scenes, do forensic analysis and come to a conclusion about the manner and means of death. The office itself orders autopsies.

Talisha Redic, the mother of the infant, has been charged with seven counts of child endangerment in connection with the infant and her other six living children from 2 years old to 11 years old testing positive for cocaine, according to a previous story.

Smith said the police department has submitted the case to Bland for review.

Bland said he couldn’t comment on the case itself.

The infant, born about three months early, also tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepines, according to the previous story.