Philadelphia's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Constance DiAngelo resigns

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Constance DiAngelo resigned on Tuesday, Action News has learned.

DiAngelo's resignation comes on the heels of an Action News investigation into allegations that her office wrongly cremated the remains of a 16-year-old.

Aisha McCord said her family waited weeks to bury their daughter, Ashay, only to learn she'd been cremated.

In April, McCord's daughter died suddenly in her home. She had cerebral palsy and suffered from seizures.

The Medical Examiner's Office took the body for an autopsy and a month later cremated the remains which the family says it didn't approve.

The McCord family is now suing the city.

DiAngelo was appointed to the position last year and why she stepped down though is unclear.

A Health Department spokesperson and the Mayor's Office would not give a reason for her resignation. They say it's unrelated to our investigation.

"Within a week of your story, there's a resignation," said McCord's attorney AJ Thomson. "So, you know, I guess we'll find out down the line, what the reasons for that are."

The Medical Examiner's Office has been plagued by issues for years. DiAngelo's predecessor, Sam Gulino, and Health Commissioner, Thomas Farley, resigned in 2021 after allegations the office mishandled and cremated remains without notifying families of the victims.

The remains were related to the infamous MOVE bombing that killed 11 people in 1985 in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia.

An independent investigation into the Medical Examiner's Office released last year, revealed the office was significantly understaffed and in desperate need of uniform standards.

"The real purpose here is to shed light on something that really needs to be fixed, especially if something like this is happening," added Thomson.

The Investigative Team tried to reach DiAngelo for comment but our attempts have been unsuccessful.