(AP) — Incomplete homicide autopsy reports have continued to pile up in Mississippi - despite tough-on-crime talk by state leaders ahead of the Nov. 7 general election. Police officers and prosecutors rely on medical examiners' autopsy reports to investigate violent crimes and hold perpetrators accountable. Homicide autopsies in Mississippi continue to lag behind national standards as crime has remained a flashpoint in the state legislature and campaign trail. We have autopsies that have still been pending, sometimes for years.”Delayed autopsy reports create bureaucratic hurdles for prosecutors and defense attorneys. “States like Mississippi are safest when autopsy reports are completed within 90 days.

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Persons: JACKSON, Tate Reeves, ” Reeves, “, Sean Tindell, he’d, Reeves, Democrat Brandon Presley, ” Presley, I’ll, ” Tindell, Presley “ isn’t, Tindell's, Tindell, shouldn't, Jody Owens, That's, Owens, ” Organizations: Police, National Association of Medical, Republican Gov, Centers for Disease Control, ., . Mississippi Public, The Associated Press, Democrat Locations: Miss, Mississippi, , Mississippi, . Mississippi, Hinds County, “ States