Former Ohio toxicologist's finding to be tested

COLUMBUS (AP) — An Ohio coroner is reviewing autopsies that involved a former toxicologist whose credibility is being called into question.

WBNS-TV in Columbus reports James Ferguson has acknowledged he falsely claimed to have gotten a degree from Ohio State University in 1972 when he really graduated in 1988. The station says it obtained a college transcript indicating Ferguson also flunked basic biochemistry courses.

Ferguson didn’t return a call today.

Franklin County coroner Jan Gorniak says Ferguson would have handled thousands of cases during his career from 1976 to 2003.

The Ohio Public Defender wants every case involving Ferguson to be re-examined. Gorniak says the review will take months because the files predate the office’s computer database.