The waivers, filed in Rockingham County Superior Court, are written entries of a not guilty plea, Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams said Thursday. The next step is for the court to set up a scheduling conference, he said.

Wieder was indicted on two counts of fraudulent handling of written records and three counts of solicitation for allegedly asking people to use pre-signed forms to authorize cremations. By law, medical examiners must view bodies before signing the forms.

Nigro is charged with five counts of fraudulent handling of records. He had been charged previously with taking drugs from death scenes and continuing to work as an examiner after being suspended.

Wieder was suspended last fall and resigned in February.

It was while investigating Nigro and Wieder that authorities uncovered problems at the Bayview Crematorium in Seabrook.

The crematorium was shut in February after searchers found a decomposing body in a broken refrigeration unit, two bodies in the same oven and ashes without identification. Bayview had never registered with the state, as required by law, and was never inspected by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Reams said police are trying to finish their investigation into Bayview to determine if charges will be filed against the crematorium.

During the raid officials seized urns containing the remains of people cremated at Bayview. Most of the remains have since been identified, he said.

A Rockingham County grand jury indicted Kathrine Wieder, the former chief forensic investigator for the state medical examiner's office, and Gene Nigro, a suspended assistant deputy medical examiner, earlier this year.

The waivers, filed in Rockingham County Superior Court, are written entries of a not guilty plea, Rockingham County Attorney Jim Reams said Thursday. The next step is for the court to set up a scheduling conference, he said.

Wieder was indicted on two counts of fraudulent handling of written records and three counts of solicitation for allegedly asking people to use pre-signed forms to authorize cremations. By law, medical examiners must view bodies before signing the forms.

Nigro is charged with five counts of fraudulent handling of records. He had been charged previously with taking drugs from death scenes and continuing to work as an examiner after being suspended.

Wieder was suspended last fall and resigned in February.

It was while investigating Nigro and Wieder that authorities uncovered problems at the Bayview Crematorium in Seabrook.

The crematorium was shut in February after searchers found a decomposing body in a broken refrigeration unit, two bodies in the same oven and ashes without identification. Bayview had never registered with the state, as required by law, and was never inspected by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Reams said police are trying to finish their investigation into Bayview to determine if charges will be filed against the crematorium.

During the raid officials seized urns containing the remains of people cremated at Bayview. Most of the remains have since been identified, he said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/04/07/medical_examiners_indicted_on_fraud_waive_hearing?mode=PF