What started as a rescue call ended with a moment of kindness thanks to police officers in Nebraska.

Karen Ressegieu recently woke up to find her husband unresponsive.

"I woke up at 1:30 a.m., and he was still breathing. So, I, evidently, I went back to sleep, I'd never heard him. And at 6:15 a.m. I got up because we had a funeral that morning," Ressegieu said.

When medics arrived, they performed multiple rounds of CPR before telling Ressegieu her husband had died.

Despite the devastating news, Officer John Danderand said Ressegieu still kept putting everyone else first.

"She had a lot going on, she had some neighbors stopping by trying to figure things out, get information from her. And she had mentioned about three times that she had to get a cake frosted, they were supposed to attend a funeral that morning," he said.

Danderand decided to jump in to help.

"They said, 'Karen, can I frost that cake?'" Ressegieu said.

Sgt. Kraig Gomon said he snapped a couple of pictures to serve as a memory down the line, but it captured a part of the job that goes on behind the scenes.

"She was just more worried about everybody else than herself. And that was what struck me the most as her kindness. And for me, it was a small gesture for us to be able to try to return that to her," Gomon said.

Ressegieu said that morning was a blur, so having officers she could rely on helped her through the loss of her husband.

"And they said, so where does it go? And I pointed to where, so they delivered the cake, too," Ressegieu said.

It was a somber day made a little sweeter by a simple gesture.

"They just showed lots of kindness, you know, going out of their way," she said.

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Office of Chief Medical Examiner is experiencing an unprecedented backlog of autopsies. The delays mean families have to wait weeks to say goodbye to their loved ones who were murdered or overdosed.

“The bodies are piling up and decaying right in front of everyone’s eyes,” said Patrick Moran, President of AFSCME Council 3, which has members who are autopsy assistants and forensic investigators. “Bodies are decomposing, and that’s not the way to treat those that have lost their lives and families who are looking for closure.”

More than 200 bodies are awaiting autopsy. Moran said members of the union describe a gruesome scene at the agency in Baltimore, which is responsible for investigating violent or suspicious deaths, including all deaths unattended by a physician.

“It’s pretty vile, and it’s pretty unhealthy,” said Moran.

Running out of space, the Maryland Department of Health converted a parking garage downtown into a morgue until a permanent expansion could be built.

“The additional storage that has been provided allows adequate capacity decedents that may be awaiting autopsy as well as decedents who are completed and awaiting funeral homes,” said Dr. Jinlene Chan, Deputy Secretary of MDH, at a House subcommittee meeting last week.

Dr. Chan said the backlog has been rising for the last few weeks. It’s caused by high vacancy rates (17.2 percent in December) and increasing numbers of murders and drug overdoses, which are resource-intensive cases.

An MDH spokesperson said there is a nationwide shortage of qualified applicants.

Moran said it’d been a longstanding challenge to maintain adequate staffing.

As of December, three positions had been vacant for almost a year. Fire medical examiners have retired or resigned over the last two years, and three more are expected to retire soon.

“We need them to recruit more people to do the job. They need to look at what people need. The resources people need to do the job, the salary they need to do the job, and take action.

In a statement, MDH said they offer highly competitive salaries, and they are performing direct outreach to fill openings, dedicating a recruitment specialist specifically for OCME.

To assist with the growing workload, MDH added 21 new positions, including medical examiners, toxicologists, and support professionals.

In the meantime, FEMA is supplying two pathologists and two pathology assistants to provide additional support to OCME beginning this week.

The delays ultimately impact the families who grieve the loss of a loved one.

“The families are anxious anyway because they have lost someone dear to them, so it adds onto the anxiety level,” said Erich W. March, the VP and CEO of March Funeral Homes.

March said the OCME used to take two days to perform an autopsy. Now it’s taking as long as two weeks from the date of death, forcing families to wait to say their final goodbyes.

“It makes it difficult for the family plans their memorial service or tribute because they don’t have a real set date as to when the preparations can be completed,” said March.

The OCME is accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners or NAME. To maintain that status, there are specific standards they have to meet, and these issues are causing violations.

NAME’s standard is that no autopsy physician should be required to perform more than 325 autopsies per year. In fiscal 2021, OCME reported its highest ratio with 390 autopsies performed per ME, significantly surpassing the phase II standard.

In the FY23 MDH budget analysis, the Department of Legislative Services wrote that although OCME can continue to operate without accreditation, being accredited by NAME improves the public’s trust that the office is performing its work in a proper environment and limits questions about the validity of MEs’ findings at trials.

DLS pointed out that increased ME vacancies and higher caseloads have led to this ratio, and it is likely to have lasting impacts on recruitment and retention efforts.

Abby Isaacs at WMAR first reported this story.

Raymond Washburn, a blind man who was credited with helping rescue five people from the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, has died.

He was 75. Washburn died Jan. 16 at his home in Oklahoma City, and funeral services were held for him Friday in Bristow, Oklahoma, just outside of Tulsa.

Washburn owned and operated a snack bar on the building's fourth floor when a truck bomb ripped through it on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people. In an interview recorded for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, Washburn described how he led his customers and employees out of the building and how his ability to get around without seeing had been an advantage, the Associated Press reported.

Washburn lived in Oklahoma City for decades and is most known for his heroic acts on the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. He spent several years as the owner and operator of the 4th-floor snack bar in the building through the state's Blind Vending Stand program.

Washburn was born blind, graduating from the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee.

He's credited with freeing himself and rescuing four customers and an employee from the bombing rubble and leading them out of the building using his sense of direction.

Washburn's full obituary can be found here.

This story was also posted by Ryan Love of KJRH in Tulsa, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bob Dole was being honored with a private service at Washington National Cathedral and a public one at the World War II Memorial on Friday, after lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, where President Joe Biden and top leaders from both parties saluted a “giant in our history."

A friend of Dole's from the decades both men spent in the Senate, Biden is set to speak at Friday's invitation-only cathedral ceremony, which will feature the late Kansas senator's family and close friends.

Dole's casket was then set to travel to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall for a public “celebration of life” featuring Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, actor Tom Hanks and the U.S. Army Band. Dole's wife, former North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, plans to lay a wreath in his honor.

Dole, who died Sunday at age 98, served nearly 36 years in Congress, more than a decade as GOP Senate leader and was his party's presidential nominee when he lost to Bill Clinton during the 1996 election. In February, he announced he'd been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.

Besides his sharp, often sarcastic tongue, among Dole's best-known attributes were his pragmatic brand of politics and self-deprecating wit — representing the sense of common civility and compromise of a bygone era.

“As divided as we are, the only way forward for democracy is unity — consensus — the only way,” Biden said Thursday. “We may follow his wisdom and his timeless truth and reach consensus on the basic fundamental principles we all agree on.”

Dole’s casket, draped with the American flag, sat under the Capitol dome. Biden said Dole “belongs here, in this place, this temple to liberty and temple to possibility.”

“He, too, was a giant of our history,” the president said.

Dole's body will later travel to Kansas, where weekend events include a public viewing at St. Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church in his hometown of Russell. He will later be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

“No question, Bob Dole left this world a much better place because of his legacy of leadership and service," Mike Ford, chair of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the late President Ford's eldest son, said in a statement. "As we read the obituaries and see the responses to his passing, my family is struck by the genuine affection expressed across the political spectrum. His warmth, wit, and wisdom will be sorely missed.”

Ford selected Dole as his running mate while unsuccessfully seeking to hang on to the presidency in the 1976 election.

Thursday's Capitol service wasn’t open to the public, but political leaders and other guests were able to stop by, including Dan Quayle. The former vice president touched Dole's casket and said “Bye, buddy.”

Black draperies hung on doorways under the dome as Dole lay in state and the lectern was positioned in a way that the statue of another Kansas stateman, Dwight Eisenhower, would be seen in the background. Sen. Mitch McConnell, now the longest-serving Republican Senate leader, said Dole idolized Eisenhower, calling the former president and general a hero who embodied “the finest qualities of the American people.”

“We can say with certainty that Eisenhower isn’t the only Kansan who meets those standards,” McConnell said in a speech earlier this week.

McConnell had raised concerns that an event planner for the memorial service, Tim Unes, had been subpoenaed by the House committee investigating a mob's deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol over his role in planning that day for former President Donald Trump, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Trump had urged his followers to head to the Capitol to fight the certification of Biden’s election victory.

Dole family spokesperson Steve Schwab said in a statement that Unes, a former Dole campaign staffer, had “volunteered his time to serve on the advance team for this week’s memorial events.” Schwab said Elizabeth Dole “was previously unaware” of Unes’ participation in the January attack and once he made her aware she “terminated his volunteer role."

Born a child of the Dust Bowl, Bob Dole suffered paralyzing and near-fatal wounds after being shot in World War II that sent him home with a severely damaged right arm that he could not use to shake hands. Instead, Dole held a pen in it and reached out with his left as a way to put greeters at ease.

He served as a Kansas state legislator before running for Congress in 1960, joining the House for eight years then going on to win the Senate seat. The 1996 race was Dole's third and final White House campaign.

Dole’s sense of humor was on display after losing to Clinton. McConnell recalled that when it was time for Dole’s remarks, he stood at the podium and began: “I, Robert J. Dole … do solemnly swear … oh, sorry, wrong speech!”

But that humor was rarely seen on the campaign trail, where it could have helped him win more votes. Instead, Dole was seen as a GOP “hatchet man,” a mentee of Richard Nixon and chairman of the Republican National Committee during the Watergate era.

Still, it was during Dole’s long Senate career that he grew to see the value of reaching across the aisle to Democrats and secured his more lasting achievements — most notably the Americans with Disabilities Act that to this day ensures a level of accessibility as a civil right.

Two Iowa towns are saying goodbye to their fire chief.

Ken Cavanaugh died of a heart attack, but not before pulling his school bus full of children off the road and saving their lives.

Cavanaugh was the fire chief in Woodward and Bouton.

"It's real tough. Real tough," said Karl Harris, the Bouton fire department captain.

"Losing one of your own is one of the toughest things you can do," Bouton firefighter Andy Wernli said.

Firefighters in Boutin, Iowa, are saying goodbye to their chief and their best friend. Ken Cavanaugh died Monday of a heart attack. He'd been in the hospital since Oct. 18. That's when he became ill driving a Woodward-Granger school bus. Despite his pain, he was able to pull the bus off the highway and into a soybean field. The kids got out safely.

"I'm sure the first thing he was thinking about is how am I going to keep these kids from getting injured or suffering with a catastrophic school bus crash," said Harris.

His friends are not surprised.

"He cares more about you than himself. He's always been that way," Harris said.

Cavanaugh has been a fire fighter here since 1977. Now the fire station is full of flowers from friends and family. All are remembering a brave and dedicated rescue worker, whose final act was saving so many lives.

"I think if anyone ever mentions Kenny Cavanaugh’s name, hero out to be right there with it," Wernli said.

Harris added, "He’s definitely a hero."

Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

Lines of mourners form for Gabby Petito funeral home viewing

Updated: 2:40 PM EDT Sep 26, 2021

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Just days after Gabby Petito’s confirmed death, her stepdad is honoring her memory in a very heartfelt way. Let’s get into it. Gabby Petito’s family is suffering an unimaginable heartbreak.  Just days after Gabby was confirmed dead by the Teton County Coroner's Office, her stepfather Jim Schmidt and his friend Gary Rider left flowers in the shape of a cross at Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming, where her body was found. Gary shared in a recent interview with U.K. newspaper The Independent that QUOTE, “The small cross with flowers was made by Jim and myself.”  He also noted that there was already a memorial there made out of stone and that the “larger cross was not done by anyone connected with the search or recovery of Gabby. It was just a coincidence, we confirmed that.” Gary did not specify if Jim's wife and Gabby's mother Nicole Schmidt joined them at the site. Before Gabby’s body was found, Nicole's husband Jim, a former fire chief in Blue Point, NY, had flown to Wyoming to help search for her daughter. Nicole told The New York Post, “he's not leaving until he brings Gabby home.” She added, "Now we have eyes, ears, feet on the ground … in both her home states and where she was last seen.” Since Gabby's remains were found on Sept. 19, her dad, Joseph Petito, and brother, TJ Schmidt, shared several touching tributes. TJ shared a photo of her standing in front of a wolf mural with the caption, "Gonna miss you till the end gabbs #justiceforgabby,"  Whereas, Joseph took to Twitter to post a photo of Gabby posing in front of a mural of angel wings, tweeting, "#gabbypetito she touched the world." This led to an outpour of love and support from all over the world.  Gabby lost contact with her family in late August while on a cross-country road trip with her then fiancé Brian Laundrie, who police have named a person of interest in her disappearance and is currently missing.  However, Gabby's family wants the world to know in a statement previously released through their lawyer, they said, "Brian is not missing, he is hiding." Last week, police said that Brian's parents reported they had not seen their son, who reportedly returned home to Florida Sept 1, since Sept. 14. Brian’s lawyer said in a statement, "In my experience, intimate partners are often the first person law enforcement focuses their attention on in cases like this.” The lawyer added, "And the warning that 'any statement will be used against you' is true, regardless of whether my client had anything to do with Ms. Petito's disappearance.” Following Gabby's death, Brian's mother and father, Roberta and Christopher Laundrie, issued a statement through their lawyer that simply read, "May Gabby Rest In Peace." They made no further comment, including any remarks about their 23-year-old son, who now also has a warrant out for his arrest for his “use of unauthorized access devices” following Gabby's death, in which he attempted to use an unauthorized debit card with the intent to defraud. Our deepest condolences go out to the Petito family as they try to cope with this unimaginable heartbreak and loss. Rest in peace Gabby. For all the details on what led to Gabby’s disappearance, you can click right over for another Clevver video. Then be sure to let us know your thoughts in the latest findings of Gabby’s case in the comment section below.  For now, I'm your host Sussan Mourad, you can find me on my socials @Sussan_Mourad, I’ll see you next time!

Lines of mourners form for Gabby Petito funeral home viewing

Updated: 2:40 PM EDT Sep 26, 2021

Mourners began arriving at a Long Island funeral home viewing on Sunday for Gabby Petito, whose death on a cross-country trip has sparked a manhunt for her boyfriend.A line had formed outside the funeral home in Holbrook, about 35 miles east of New York City, by noon, and groups of firefighters were seen filing past. A fire truck sat on each side of the building, each with its ladder raised.Video above: Gabby Petito’s family honors her memory with touching tributeAcross the street from the funeral home, a chain link fence was adorned with posters featuring Petito's image and messages such as, "She touched the world."Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she didn’t respond to calls and texts for several days while she and Brian Laundrie visited parks in the West.Her body was discovered last Sunday in a remote area in northwestern Wyoming. Laundrie and Petito grew up on Long Island but in recent years moved to Florida. Petito's death has been classified as a homicide, meaning she was killed by another person, but medical examiners in Wyoming haven't disclosed how she died pending further autopsy results.The couple posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case. Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night. But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.Investigators have been searching for Laundrie in Florida, and searched his parents' home in North Port, about 35 miles south of Sarasota.On Thursday, federal officials in Wyoming charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someone’s personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say who the card belonged to.

HOLBROOK, N.Y. —

Mourners began arriving at a Long Island funeral home viewing on Sunday for Gabby Petito, whose death on a cross-country trip has sparked a manhunt for her boyfriend.

A line had formed outside the funeral home in Holbrook, about 35 miles east of New York City, by noon, and groups of firefighters were seen filing past. A fire truck sat on each side of the building, each with its ladder raised.

Video above: Gabby Petito’s family honors her memory with touching tribute

Across the street from the funeral home, a chain link fence was adorned with posters featuring Petito's image and messages such as, "She touched the world."

Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she didn’t respond to calls and texts for several days while she and Brian Laundrie visited parks in the West.

Her body was discovered last Sunday in a remote area in northwestern Wyoming. Laundrie and Petito grew up on Long Island but in recent years moved to Florida.

Petito's death has been classified as a homicide, meaning she was killed by another person, but medical examiners in Wyoming haven't disclosed how she died pending further autopsy results.

The couple posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop for a possible domestic violence case. Ultimately, police there decided to separate the quarreling couple for the night. But no charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.

Eduardo Munoz Avarez

Investigators have been searching for Laundrie in Florida, and searched his parents' home in North Port, about 35 miles south of Sarasota.

On Thursday, federal officials in Wyoming charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someone’s personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say who the card belonged to.