Coroner’s case load: December death toll already surpassing average

Whitman County Coroner Pete Martin went before the Board of Whitman County Commissioners about one month ago to request additional funding for the year, because the department was seeing a higher-than-normal case load.

Martin told the commissioners that he had seen a 40 percent increase in cases in 2015, necessitating a $24,730 budget amendment to bring his total 2015 budget to $162,568. He said his office usually sees an average of 70 cases per year.

As of Nov. 20, Martin reported to the Gazette that he had 102 cases. That number changed from the time he reported it to the time the Gazette went to press, increasing to 107 cases as of Nov. 26.

On Monday, Martin told the Gazette that he has seen an additional seven cases since then, bringing the total 2015 tally so far to 114 – with 24 days still remaining in the month.

“December is usually anywhere between five to 10 cases,” he said. “We are already there. We will probably have twice as many in December.”

Martin previously told the Gazette that December, at the usual five to 10 cases, is usually one of the busiest months at the coroner’s office, which he attributed to a higher rate of fatal vehicle accidents due to adverse driving conditions as well as higher suicide rates commonly seen around the holidays.

“This is the month when we expect the tragedies to happen,” he said. “We have more natural deaths. As strange as it may sound, people wait until after the holidays to die. The moment Christmas is over, the next day they go. And we see more motor vehicle accidents and suicides. It does present some additional challenges toward the end of the year.”

One of the additional cases his office saw recently was the death of Curtis Lee Johnson, 29, of Airway Heights. Johnson was found deceased in his car at the Horn School Rest Stop near Rosalia Dec. 4. In a Dec. 7 media release, Martin stated that it was determined that Johnson had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Martin said that Johnson suffered from PTSD and “had some other problems.” He also reported that Johnson’s death led to another.

“His wife, the next day, took her life,” said Martin. “That is the continuing tragedy.”

That case was handled in Spokane County where she died.

Another case that added to the Whitman County work load was the Nov. 22 motor vehicle accident on SR 26 near Dusty. 20-year-old WSU student Morgan Cope of Buckley was believed to be traveling home for the Thanksgiving holiday when she was struck head-on by a vehicle, which had crossed the center line. Jason Wigen, 18, LaCrosse, was the driver of the 1990 Toyota pickup that crossed the center line and is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

“That was a tough, tough thing,” said Martin. “We think the pickup crossed over and struck her vehicle.”

Martin added that Wigen was “seriously injured, but still alive.” In Seattle, Wigen has undergone two surgeries since the accident. A fund has been established at Columbia Bank to aid his family in mounting medical costs.

Another fatal car accident that weekend near Rosalia was not part of the Whitman County coroner load, due to it occurring just outside of the Whitman County lines, but it is another example of holiday travel gone wrong.

In that accident, 18-year-old Christine Hunter, driving northbound, was killed when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck a pickup truck head-on. Hunter, Spokane, was traveling Nov. 20 for the WSU Thanksgiving break. That case was handled in Spokane County.

Martin also reported that natural deaths have occurred over the last two weeks, some of which have been part of the coroner’s caseload. Not all deaths are turned over to the coroner. Martin told the Gazette that deaths which are unattended, being defined as not having had contact with anybody for 36 hours, residents in assisted living or nursing homes, anybody who dies after being in the hospital for less than 24 hours and all car accidents, homicides, suicides and unknown causes are referred to the coroner.

Martin said he does not know what the rest of the month will bring, and he added that he does not know if he can expect the increased work load to continue into 2016.

“It is unusual for us, but it could set a new standard,” he said. “The public needs to know that we are out there doing what we can. We are continuing to have a number of serious cases, and we could have another seven to 10 cases.”

Martin credited the different agencies throughout the county involved in death investigations for their “training and professionalism” which helps to keep up with the case load.

“The level of training I am seeing – advanced training and professionalism – meets or exceeds any other county or region I have seen in this state,” he said. “We get along, and everyone cooperates. I am very proud of Whitman County that we are able to do that and say that.”

He said that despite the increased work load, the coroner’s office is committed to completing work thoroughly and accurately.

“The results we get are accurate, and we can move forward on them,” said Martin. “Our conclusions have been right on. It has taken more investigative time, but everyone has stepped up.”