I have also taken a great deal of education this Spring relating to new toxicology options. I have received training in drawing specimens which allow me to analyze glucose and electrolyte chemistry at the time of death. When needed, this helps to close the gaps on deaths I believe to be natural, but am uncertain of the specific cause. I.e., a person who did not visit a doctor frequently, or at all - thus having no medical history or laboratory baseline for me to compare to. This is an inexpensive method to accurately be certain of the cause of death in these cases. It has already saved a great deal of money by making an autopsy unnecessary in certain cases where previously that might have been the only method. I’m proud of this training and the accuracy & efficiency is has given me and, by extension, the public and families as they await answers.
2019 has also seen Bates County’s first homicide investigation in several years. I dedicated my full time and resources to a thorough investigation, which I was able to complete in priority fashion. That investigation is final and was promptly forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney.
Now for the statistics:
In the first quarter of 2019 (Jan-Mar), I responded to 9 cases. This means I was notified of a death, traveled to the scene, and conducted an investigation to determine the cause and manner of death by: interview of witnesses, scene examination, physical examination, toxicology, and in some cases ordering an autopsy. Of those 9 cases that I responded to, External Examinations were performed on 44% (4 cases), Toxicology performed on 56% (5 cases), retained the decedent as unclaimed body in one case, and transported the decedent to my office for investigation on a total of 56% (5 cases). The Manner of Death was Natural on 89% (8 cases), and Accident on one case. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) was the leading cause of Natural deaths at 22%. Tobacco use is believed to have contributed to death in 44% of these cases.
The second quarter of 2019 (Apr-Jun) was extremely busy: I responded to 20 cases. External Examinations performed in 30% of cases, complete autopsies performed in 25% of cases, Toxicolgy performed in 65%, 10% were organ/tissue donors, and decedents transported to my office for further investigation were 12 cases. Manner of Death was Natural in 50% of cases, Accident in 30%, Suicide in 1 case and Homicide in 1 case. Hypertensive Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Coronary Artery Disease and Congestive Heart Failure tied for leading causes of death among Natural deaths, and Tobacco use is believed to have contributed in 25% of cases.
These numbers DO NOT include deaths reported to my office by hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice providers.
Even though the Coroner’s office is one of the lesser-seen offices of Bates County, it is still funded by your tax dollars and I believe in keeping you informed on how I spend my time and your money. You are always welcome to contact me 24 hours a day with any questions. In the meantime, please know that I am continually grateful for the chance to serve in this office, and I will always do so to the very best of my ability.
Greg D. Mullinax
Coroner of Bates County
