death investigators

Gov. Jay Inslee signs House Bill 1326 on Monday in Olympia.

News

Big reforms coming to coroner, medical examiner offices in Washington

Kari Plog

In Washington’s smallest counties, elected prosecutors investigate suspicious and unusual deaths when they aren’t trying cases. Some say the dual role is…

Dr. Nicole Yarid, an associate medical examiner for King County, walks into the autopsy room dedicated to examining people who died from COVID-related complications. Yarid told KNKX that the pandemic response has detracted from other priorities.

Other News

As effort to reform death investigation system begins, KNKX looks outside WA for solutions

Kari Plog

Since its founding more than a century ago, Washington state has seen few changes to the way sudden or unusual deaths are investigated. And experts from…

Nicole MacMaster, who lives in Central Washington, goes through records related to her mother's death in 2012, including amended copies of her mother's death certificate. MacMaster was featured in KNKX's three-part series on death investigation.

Other News

State law modernizing vital records process includes more money for coroner training

Kari Plog

A new law going into effect in 2021 will, in part, provide more funding for training in the state's system of death investigation. The change is the first…

Nicole MacMaster says she still has unanswered questions about the death of her mom, Frankie "Ellen" Schmitz. She says her mother didn't get the death investigation she deserved.

Other News

Coroners in Washington lack clear oversight, leaving some families without closure

Kari Plog

Nicole MacMaster remembers her mom, Frankie "Ellen" Schmitz, as a doting grandmother who loved to crochet. Christmastime was her favorite, and she always…

Hayley Thompson, the coroner in Skagit County, says the makeshift morgue she rents from the local hospital — a space converted from a closet — has a lot of flaws. But it's better than what most coroners have.

Politics

Coroners in Washington manage to investigate deaths despite untenable conditions

Kari Plog

It isn’t often a coroner gets to deliver good news. Last week was an exception for Hayley Thompson.The Skagit County coroner learned her office was…

Skagit County Coroner Hayley Thompson (left) and Connie Le Sourd, owner of Mount Vernon Cemetery, arrange urns of unclaimed remains in a shared crypt during a committal service in October 2019. Thompson is one of 17 elected coroners in Washington state.

Politics

'A challenging way to practice medicine': Death investigation in Washington faces grim reality

Kari Plog

Dr. Carl Wigren could stand in for just about any medical examiner as seen on TV. He’s witty, a fast talker who knows a lot about investigating deaths.In…