Mission Statement
The mission of the Skagit County Coroner’s Office is to serve the community by providing accurate and timely Medico-Legal death investigations in a professional manner, while ensuring the highest level of compassion, dignity, and respect for the deceased and their families.
Vision
To be a leader in providing compassionate, professional and efficient assistance to the community of Skagit County and to work collaboratively with our partners to reduce preventable deaths.
Role of the Coroner
The Skagit County Coroner’s Office investigates the circumstances surrounding a person’s death independently of any law enforcement agency with the primary role of determining the “Cause” and “Manner” upon notification of deaths that are unexpected, unexplained, suspicious, violent or in which the cause and/or manner of death is unknown. Additionally, the coroner is also responsible for identifying decedents, locating and making notification to next-of-kin, safeguarding personal property, collecting evidence, and completion of mandatory records and documents.
Not all deaths that occur in the county are required to be reported to the office, nor are all deaths where jurisdiction is assumed require an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. An autopsy is performed only when it is necessary to determine or confirm the cause of death, document injury, or when required by state law.
In accordance with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 68.50), the following categories of deaths fall under the Coroner’s jurisdiction:
- Sudden death of an apparent healthy person with no known or significant medical history
- Suspected natural deaths in which there is no current physician to certify the death
- Deaths in which there are abuse or neglect concerns (Adult Protective Services or Child Protective Services involvement)
- Violent or suspicious circumstances
- Traffic-related deaths
- Suicides
- All child deaths
- All premature births and still births over 20 weeks gestation
- All accidental deaths (falls, industrial, recreational)
- Deaths attributed to drug overdose or drug-related
- Deaths that occur while in legal/court/jail/prison custody
- Deaths due to unforeseen complications of therapy, surgery, or diagnostic procedures
- Deaths due to an injury or fracture that either was directly or contributory to decline to death, this includes those injuries that occurred years earlier.
- Deaths due to contagious disease that may be a public health hazard
- Indigent or unclaimed bodies
Coroner Case Reviews : 2019-2023
Statistics Archive: 2023 | 2022 |2021 | 2020 | 2019
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