Elizabeth Betts

Elizabeth Betts is a forensic professional with more than 17 years of experience in medicolegal death investigation, forensic case review, and quality assurance within Medical Examiner systems. Most of her career was spent at the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

She began as an autopsy technician supporting forensic pathologists, collecting forensic evidence across the full range of case types, including pediatric deaths, decomposed remains, sharp and blunt force trauma, drug intoxications, and thermal injuries. She also conducted fingerprinting, radiography, digital photography, and scene investigation, giving her a complete field-to-autopsy understanding of how evidence develops.

In management, she oversaw morgue operations and led the development of standard operating procedures for autopsy workflows, evidence collection, chain-of-custody documentation, and staff training, and built a quality program that improved consistency and accreditation readiness.

Elizabeth is a certified Internal Auditor and Technical Assessor for ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC 17025 standards. She now works nationally as a Technical Assessor for Forensic Management Systems, helping Medical Examiner offices refine their quality systems and accreditation compliance.

Through her consulting work, she helps attorneys review Medical Examiner reports, forensic documentation, and investigative findings, identifying gaps or inconsistencies and explaining standard medicolegal practice. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, strength training, and advancing her American Sign Language skills.