Joseph A. Jachimczyk, Harris County’s medical examiner from 1960 to 1995, died Tuesday in Houston. Dr. Jachimczyk had battled hypertension and Parkinson’s Disease for a number of years.
Dr. Jachimczyk was Harris County’s first medical examiner and really built the medical examiner’s office from scratch. He was generally well-regarded among law enforcement officials, although medical examiners are invariably remembered more for their mistakes than their achievements. That was certainly true for Dr. Jachimczyk, who badly blew two sets of autopsies six years apart in the late 1970’s and early 80’s in the Diana Wanstrath case that investigators eventually ignored in solving several murders involved in that case.
A vigil service will be held for Dr. Jachimczyk at 7 PM this evening in the chapel of The Settegast-Kopf Co., 3320 Kirby Drive. A funeral mass will be held at 10 AM Thursday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, at the corner of Buffalo Speedway and Bellaire.