05/27/2026
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MRT ARTICLE
By B. Kay Richter The Midland Reporter-Telegram
Staff Writer
๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐คs
Tracy Karst-Culler understands the pain death can bring to families in Midland County. As the lead death investigator for the Midland County Medical Examinerโs Office, she sees firsthand how grief and the loss of a loved one affect families.
As the Reporter-Telegramโs monthly Community Champion, she exemplifies community-minded service and putting others first. Through her work with the nonprofit Midland Crime Stoppers, she helps advance its mission of crime prevention.
Recently, the Reporter-Telegram sat down with Karst-Culler to discuss how local initiatives are reshaping death investigations in Midland County and how her work continues to help transform the future of the community.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง:: Can you discuss your personal background and how it developed your career as a death investigator?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ: It started in New Mexico with a ride-along, and I fell in love. Yes, the job is interesting, but the gratification I feel when I can help families is immeasurable. This is the worst day of peopleโs lives, and they need to be met with respect and compassion. It also warms my heart to provide the family with closure and an answer to their question.
I have had a lot of death in my family, and I know that hurts, as I have lost a brother to su***de, a brother to a motorcycle accident, two siblings to Infant death, my father to a heart attack, my stepfather of 30 years to COPD, and recently my mom. If I can help the family make their experience with losing a loved one, even just a small amount, easier, it fills my cup.
I was honored to work as a field Deputy Medical Investigator with OMI in New Mexico, then, when I moved to Midland, I was blessed that Scott Ramsey, former County Commissioner, Judge Terry Johnson, and the other commissioners saw my value and helped move forward with turning Midland County from a Justice of the Peace system to a medical examiner system.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: What is your personal mantra for everyday living? Being a death investigator, what helps to motivate you throughout the day?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ: My family is my motivation. I have an amazing, supportive husband, four children, and two grandchildren who mean everything to me. I just try to live the best I can, not only to make my family proud along with my faith, God, and to know I lived honoring him and helping all his children. I also have a great Medical Examinerโs Office team. They are not just coworkers, they are my family, as well, and many of the Midland County Staff. I feel so blessed to have great coworkers who work for Midland County.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง:: Community Champions demonstrate exceptional service and leadership that enhance the communityโs quality of life. Can you provide one example of how you have enhanced the communityโs quality of life?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ: I believe that our push to get a Medical Examinerโs Office, a doctor that can medically review cases from a medical standpoint, gave Midland residents a more thorough investigation to provide a true cause of death, and more importantly, closure for the families. I also believe hiring non-law enforcement investigators who have more knowledge on the medical side is valuable. Not all cases are textbook, and the human body, along with circumstances, is powerful in its ability to provide the medical background and experience needed for this career. I believe the Midland Community deserves the best!
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: How have you had a positive impact on your community โ with personal interactions, work interactions or community-led interactions within certain groups?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ: I believe I have a great working relationship with the whole team, including the Midland Police Department, the Midland Sheriffโs Office, the Crisis Intervention Unit, the Physicians, the Commissioners, Texas Panhandle Forensics, the County Judge, Midland Memorial Hospital, and most of the funeral homes are critical. We also try to get out in the community and attend safety meetings for companies in Midland to help the staff know whatโs happening in Midland, Texas, and how to be safe and look out for each other.
This has also been so fulfilling and definitely helps to wake people up when they see the unfortunate, untimely deaths and accidents, whether that be a vehicle or an industrial accident right here in our backyard. We want everyone to be able to go home to their families after working their shifts. Plus, it educates people about what we really do, which helps get rid of the non-truthful stigmas. I believe that in life, you are never going to know when or if you are going to need help. So, I must build relationships in my community so we as a whole can make Midland better.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: Can you describe your work with Midland Crime Stoppers โ how has that nonprofit enriched your life and the lives of others?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ:: I have been on the Midland Crime Stoppers board for almost two years and serve as the treasurer. I am blessed to serve with the most amazing board members and a great director, Angie Valenzuela. Being a member has taught me so much about crime and crime prevention in the community. I have been fortunate to work with MPD Officer Cortinas to start the campus crime stopper programs in the Midland School District. It is so rewarding to stop the criminals and get them off the streets. It is an honor to serve Midland County.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: How long have you been in the Midland community? Can you describe how you felt when you first arrived and how you feel now about your role within the community?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ:: I have been in Midland, Texas, for five years. We moved here in August of 2020. I had a hard time when I first moved, as it is very different from northern New Mexico. I had the Colorado Mountains with camping and lakes, 45 minutes from my house, as well as my entire family and friends. But the longer I have been here, the more I have grown to love it.
The key reason I started to love it here was the hospitality. Midland people are so kind, polite, and respectful. It has definitely grown on me, and I am proud to call it my home. I have made so many amazing connections and lifelong friends. I feel proud of the hard work and dedication I have put in with the Medical Examinerโs Office and what it has become. It is truly my passion. And I will continue to strive to make a difference in the lives of the people who live and work in Midland.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: Leaders often choose a community mindset over an individual mindset, focusing on improving the lives of residents and prioritizing othersโ needs. What specific programs do you think have met these goals?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ: I believe my goal, with the help of the Commissioners and the County judge, is that we have been allowed to grow and evolve more. Not only did we evolve to a Medical Examinerโs jurisdiction, but I was allowed to hire qualified Investigators who have medical backgrounds as well as experience in dispatch, funeral home, and hospital care. But most importantly, they care about the people in Midland.
It is important to treat every decedent the way we would want our families treated. We have implemented a Medical examiners program, brought transport in-house, saving the taxpayers over 200k, and a more advanced chain of custody system. Then the family knows that my team is with their loved one from the beginning of the investigation until the funeral home takes their loved one into their care.
We have big goals to keep improving the Medical Examinerโs Office and bring the most up-to-date process to the Midland Community. Our goal is to bring a forensic pathologist here to Midland to perform medical exams right here and partner with Odessa, Ector County.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: Can you describe one community asset and your role in helping create access to that resource? For example, this could be with your current job or with the nonprofit Midland Crime Stoppers.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ:: I believe that my role in both the Medical Examinerโs Officer and Crimestoppers has helped to bring excitement, compassion, and knowledge to get the community involved as well as educated about what both organizations do! I believe everything I do is for the good and to help grow our blessed community continue to grow. The feedback we are receiving from the community is positive, and we have had countless letters, emails, phone calls, and recognition of how we have made a difference in peopleโs lives. This is what keeps me going and fills our hearts with joy and ambition to continue to make a difference.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ง: Are there any additional programs or information that you would like to share?
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐-๐๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ: People donโt realize how hard this job is physically and mentally, but at the end of the day I is so rewarding. I would like to just thank the county judge, the county commissioners, and Midland County for giving me a chance!! I will continue to make this community proud.
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