Westmoreland will cut ties with renowned pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht

Westmoreland County is cutting ties with renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht.

The county commissioners Thursday are expected to approve a one-year contract with Wecht’s former assistant to do autopsies for Coroner Tim Carson and rent the autopsy suite at Westmoreland’s forensics center in Hempfield.

Wecht, 92, has worked as the county’s private pathologist for more than a half century.

“Age is definitely something we looked at and, without knowing what the future holds, we can’t be caught with our guard down,” Carson said.

A Republican who took office in January after ousting longtime Coroner Ken Bacha, Carson said personnel defections in Wecht’s office caused concern about the veteran pathologist’s ability to handle high-profile investigations and a potential mass casualty event.

He will be replaced by Dr. Jennifer Hammers, who since 2017 has served as Wecht’s assistant. She left his employ in November and formed her own pathology practice.

Hammers, 45, of Beaver County, said it was the right time to break away from Wecht when she learned Westmoreland officials were seeking competitive proposals for the county pathologist.

“It will be big shoes to fill. My goal is to provide excellent service to the county, the coroner and the district attorney,” Hammers said.

She worked in medical examiner offices in New York City and Boston before joining Wecht’s practice.

“I was fortunate he hired me to work as part of his practice. It was a great learning experience and a professional honor,” Hammers said.

She will be paid $1,800 for each autopsy performed for the county, Carson said. That figure is $50 more than Wecht received this year and what he proposed in an apparent failed bid to continue working for the county.

“This was a difficult decision and a decision that I weighed very heavily,” Carson said.

He suggested that Hammers, as Wecht’s assistant, had become the primary pathologist who performed autopsies for the county.

Wecht said he was blindsided by the decision.

“After 55 years they made this decision. They came into my office and didn’t give me any reason. They wanted me to say I was retiring. I am not retiring,” Wecht said. “If you put a gun to my head, I can’t tell you what this is about.”

The county has paid Wecht more than $245,000 this year for autopsies and to testify in court as part of criminal prosecutions in homicide cases, according to totals obtained from the county controller’s office.

Wecht has a separate contract with the district attorney’s office for testimony.

District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli did not respond to a request for comment as to whether her office will continue to use Wecht as an expert in criminal prosecutions. He said he met with county prosecutors this week to prepare for murder trials scheduled in January.

“This isn’t a threat, but they’re not going to have me to testify in homicides. Maybe I’ll be contacted by defense attorneys,” Wecht said.

Wecht — the former elected coroner and appointed medical examiner in Allegheny County — gained notoriety for being outspoken and for his work on national and international high-profile cases.

He said he will continue to do autopsies for coroners in Armstrong, Fayette, Greene and Indiana counties as well as private cases.

Where he will do those autopsies has yet to be determined. His $30,000 annual contract to rent the autopsy suite at the county forensics center in Hempfield expires Dec. 31. Commissioners on Thursday are expected to approve an similar rental agreement with Hammers.

Wecht moved his autopsy lab to the county facility in 2017. He performed more than 600 autopsies there this year, but just 180 of those cases originated in the county and were ordered by the coroner, Carson said.

Commissoners meet at 10 a.m Thursday at the county courthouse in Greensburg.