MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) -- The mysterious death of a quiet, young girl haunts the town of Marble Falls, Texas, nearly 60 years after her body was discovered hanging by a jump rope in a shed behind her family’s home along Backbone Creek. Quickly ruled an accidental strangulation by a local justice of the peace, questions linger not only about this case and others nearby — but also an antiquated process still used in most Texas counties, giving certain elected officials the power to determine cause and manner of death with scant training and often without autopsies or forensic expertise. KXAN investigates efforts underway to strengthen and modernize this system, as our discoveries also reveal potential gaps in its oversight and prompt a new review of the last day Daynon Lewis was alive. Click here to explore the multimedia project.