LEXINGTON, Ky. — Families and advocates are growing frustrated as the Jefferson County Coroner's Office continues to withhold information about the causes of death in two cases that have drawn significant public attention — the death of a homeless woman struck by a garbage truck in February and a 21-year-old man who died in Louisville Metro Corrections custody two weeks later.

Coroner Jo-Ann Farmer said she wants to complete her investigations thoroughly before releasing any findings. "We want to get everything clear," she told the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. "We have no reason to withhold information here."

Tyrah Adams, 35, died after city sanitation workers picked her up with the hydraulic claw of a garbage truck while conducting routine cleanup in an alley on Feb. 12. Juan Miguel Munoz Penalver, 21, was found unresponsive in his cell on Feb. 26, just 12 days after being arrested and booked into jail. Both families are seeking answers about what happened.

Munoz Penalver's stepmother, Ivelipse Munoz, posted on social media that the family is still searching for answers. City officials said they need until April 28 to release police body camera footage and other records. "For a family that lost a loved one while he was under custody, being told that the video exists but that we may have to wait weeks to see it is incredibly painful," she said. "We are simply asking for transparency, clarity, and the truth."

Adams' family has also independently investigated her death, with her sister Sandra Akers and attorney Stephanie Rivas questioning the circumstances of the incident. Recent police reports support witness accounts that the truck operator got out of the vehicle, observed the scene, and returned without calling for help.

Industry experts say thoroughness matters in these investigations. Shane Sheets, president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, said the standard timeframe for completing investigations is four to eight weeks. "We want the majority of those cases done by then, but you leave wiggle room for very, very complex cases, and the reason for that is accuracy over speed," he said.

Since 2021, 23 people have died in custody at the Louisville jail, according to the ACLU of Kentucky. Angela Cooper, the organization's spokesperson, emphasized that while investigations should be thorough, officials must eventually provide public notice of the cause of death in custody cases. "Releasing information about deaths can help build trust and transparency," she said.

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting filed open records requests for autopsy reports and coroner findings for both cases. City officials responded that investigations remain open and autopsy reports typically take six to 10 weeks to complete.