Only On 9: Los Angeles County Coroner Resigns Amid Scrutiny

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles County Coroner Mark Fajardo has resigned amid heavy scrutiny of the office.

Fajardo took over control of the office in 2013.

Sources have said the "toxicology lab is mismanaged, and in dire straits."

One source sent photos showing up to 400 cases waiting to be reviewed.

Some are for simple things like alcohol and drugs, analyses that could show whether someone died while under the influence or from an overdose.

Without any findings, police can't close a case, judges can't hear them and family members can't collect insurance money, and most importantly, loved ones can't get  closure.

After shows like "NCIS" put the office in the spotlight, the coroner is under more scrutiny than ever.

Fajardo came from Riverside County and talked about the bigger caseload he was facing during an interview in 2013.

"Well, No. 1, it's the magnitude. It's just numbers, if you think about it. In Riverside County, I had an operation of about 1.2 million; here, it's over 10 million."