What we learned from those we lost in 2017

December 27, 2018.Reading time 7 minutes.

When people die suddenly, unexpectedly or unnaturally in King County, their cause and manner of death is reviewed by our Medical Examiner. This review process helps us understand what happened to a given individual, but it also helps us identify, from a public health perspective, trends in death that our department can work to address. […]

Cold cases: Help identify unknown people found dead in King County

July 12, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office is hoping forensic sketches of people who have died will help lead to their identification. At any given time, there are about 40,000 unidentified remains in the United States – around 50 in King County. Washington’s only forensic anthropologist, Dr. Kathy Taylor, investigates these remains with help from law […]

Rising number of homeless deaths reflects increasing numbers of people needing shelter and care

March 5, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

If we’re ever asked to consider that we might die someday, most of us probably hope it’s at home or doing something we love. For people experiencing homelessness in King County, 72 percent die in unfortunate public places, ranging from crawl spaces under buildings, to parked cars, to public parks. In 2017, the King County […]

Medical Examiner’s Report: What we learned from those we lost in 2016

December 19, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

Last year, 14,373 people died in King County. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office (MEO) investigated those deaths that were sudden, unexpected or unnatural – 2,494* in total. But, the count of life lost is more than a number. By tracking and analyzing different manners of death as well as trends in homicides, traffic fatalities, […]

Gone but not forgotten

September 29, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

In some way or another, most of us will be remembered in an event after we’re gone. A burial or scattering of ashes. Perhaps a religious ceremony. A gathering of friends and loved ones. But what if there was no one to claim our remains and honor our life? Every few years, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office (KCMEO) hosts a […]

5 steps to a safe sleep environment for infants

August 16, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

The King County Medical Examiner and several Public Health staff, including experts in injury prevention and nursing, recently published an article in the King County Medical Society Bulletin that provides an important overview of sudden and unexpected infant deaths (SIDS/SUIDS). While many factors may contribute to these unfortunate losses, this article stresses the role of […]