CHICAGO – The embattled medical examiner in Chicago, whose office allowed bodies to pile up and get haphazardly tossed into boxes, is retiring and several of her employees have been fired or disciplined, officials said Tuesday.

In a move that likely surprised no one, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle said the county's medical examiner, Dr. Nancy Jones, would retire next month and a national search for a replacement would begin immediately. A top aide was asked to resign, four more employees were fired and seven more were disciplined, she said.

"In our review of operations there, we believed that we needed stronger management," Preckwinkle said. The county's chief administrative officer, Robin Kelly, added: "Staff that were there weren't doing their jobs."