2013 Annual Report
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Stephen P. Nonn Office Of The Coroner Madison County, Illinois This annual report is submitted to you so that you may better measure the services the Office of the Coroner provides in return for your tax dollar 2013 Annual Report INTRODUCTION The duties and responsibilities of the County Coroner are many and varied, but in essence can be described as the investigative arm of Madison County Government concerning deaths of an unexpected, violent or criminal nature. The main functions of this office include: Respond to and investigate deaths that occur outside of hospital or clinical settings with such investigations including scene analysis, photography, sketching, witness interviews, body examination, and utilization of other forensic tests as indicated. Convene coroner's inquest to determine cause and manner of deaths involving homicides, suicides, and accidents, natural and or unexplained and suspicious deaths. Under mandate of law, investigate the death of any ward of the State of Illinois. Operate and maintain the Madison County Morgue for the purpose of conducting scientific and forensic post-mortem examination of human remains and for holding of unidentified/unclaimed human remains pending disposition. Maintain the property, monies, and personal effects of decedents processed through the coroner's office. Conduct public and community education programs regarding topics such as: Drinking and Driving, Traffic Safety, Substance Abuse, and Crime/Death Scene Response. Training and maintaining a cadre of reserve, volunteer deputy coroners for the management of disaster or mass casualty events. To report to the State of Illinois all child deaths, boating fatalities, traffic fatalities, work-related fatalities. Service of legal process when the Sheriff is party to a suit or when such process by the sheriff would be a conflict of interest. Enforcement of Grave Robbery Act. As promulgated by Illinois Historical Preservation Agency per Illinois Compiled Statutes. Issue Death Certificates and Cremation Permits PAGE 2 Mission Statement The Madison County Coroner’s Office serves as a bridge between the living and the dead. We give voice to the departed and, with all due diligence, strive to provide answers to the survivors. Utilizing the resources available by the application of science and under the principles of law we strive to assure that justice prevails for those deprived of our most precious possession ---- LIFE. PAGE 3 As Coroner of Madison County, And a member of the Law Enforcement community, it is my goal is to provide professional death investigations to determine the manner and cause in cases where the Coroner has jurisdiction and to provide critical services to surviving families with Stephen P. Nonn, D-ABMDI compassion and dignity. This is accomplished with the most cost-effective methods available. The statistics compiled for this annual report will provide the public, medical profession, and law enforcement agencies with beneficial information. If you have any questions regarding this office or any material contained in this report, please contact my office at any time. PAGE 4 BIRTH AND DEATH ARE THE ONLY TWO UNIVERSAL HUMAN EXPERIENCES. PAGE 5 Illinois Coroner’s Creed satisfied, and debtors located. Birth and death Spouse and children, heirs and next- of-kin have their attachments are the only two rearranged. It is not surprising that universal human for centuries the sovereign state has had an overriding interest in the experiences. death of its subject or citizens. The office of the Coroner, or the Office of the Medical Examiner, along with the Birth is the most important state-licensed physician is legally biological event in the life of any charged with significant duties human being. If it does not occur, answering the pertinent questions there is no being. If there is no relating to death: Who, Where, person, no legal rights and duties When, What, How, Why. Only when arise, for the law relates to the rights these questions have been and the duties of living people, no answered correctly can all the proper inanimate objects. legal issues arising at death be Death, on the other hand, is effectively handled for the proper the most important legal event for all administration of justice. human beings. When it occurs, all Although the legal aspects of legal rights and duties devolving death are most important, certainly upon the person during his life span the religious and humanitarian in a civilized jurisdiction are heritages of a civilized society also terminated. All persons with whom command a deep concern over the the deceased had legal relations at death of a human being. The that moment in time are also directly spiritual faith in a religion as well as affected by the occurrence of death. the humanitarian concern for a fellow Moreover, both the deceased and human being demand correct the survivors may be greatly affected answers to the questions of death: legally by how death occurred, what Who, Where, How, When and Why? actually happened, why it occurred, Human death obligates the living to and precisely when it occurred. acquire accurate facts on which to Above all who died must be apply just laws for each deceased absolutely determined, and where member of the human race. death occurred is positively required The obligation for proper for jurisdiction over the descendent death investigation is mandatory for is based upon a geographical legal and religious/humanitarian location. The law becomes extremely satisfactions in the human society. active when a person dies. Wealth is Let those responsible for death redistributed. Contacts are altered. A investigations take heed that they wrongful death may give rise to labor not only for the State, but also tortuous claims. Tax obligations are for God. always present. Public social benefits and private insurance policies are paid. Criminal laws may be involved. Creditors must be PAGE 6 2013 Coroner’s Statistical Report Madison County, Illinois Total Death Investigations: 2,571 “Medical Cases” – Natural cause deaths screened or investigated and returned 2208 to the medical community for certification – including deaths while in hospice, long-term care, or during hospitalization where a definitive diagnosis was made. Coroner Cases - Total 296 Natural Cause - 95 Accident -131 Suicide -26 Homicide -10 Undetermined Verdicts -1 Pending Cases -10 Miscellaneous Reports 63 Non-Human Remains 4 8 Coroner’s Inquest Verdicts 159 Administrative Review Verdicts HOMICIDE 3 HOMICIDE 7 SUICIDE 3 SUICIDE 29 ACCIDENT 1 ACCIDENT 121 NATURAL 1 NATURAL 1 UNDETERMINED 0 UNDETERMINED 1 Cremation Permits Issued 846 Toxicology Cases 192 Autopsies Performed 120 Inquest Cases 8 Administrative Reviews 159 PAGE 7 PAGE 7 2303 NATURAL DEATHS JANUARY-DECEMBER 2013 MALE FEMALE TOTAL Abdominal Aneurysm 1 3 4 Abdominal Cancer 1 2 3 Abdominal Infection/Mass 1 1 2 Acute Myocardial Infarction 162 94 256 Adrenal Carcinoma 1 1 Alcoholism (complications) 1 1 ALS 2 5 7 Alzheimer's Disease 30 64 94 Anemia 1 1 Anoxic Brain Injury 1 1 Aneurysm 2 2 Appendix Cancer 2 2 Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease 5 3 8 Attrial Fibrillation 3 5 8 Asthma 1 1 Biliary Cancer 2 1 3 Bladder Cancer 15 2 17 Bone Cancer 1 1 Bowel Obstruction 3 7 10 Brain Cancer 13 17 30 Breast Cancer 45 45 Cardiac Arrhythmia 6 16 22 Cancer 8 4 12 Cerebral Palsy 1 1 Cardiac Arrest 6 2 8 Cardiomyopathy 2 2 4 Colitis 1 1 Cerebral Vascular Accident/Disease 41 62 103 Cervical Cancer 5 5 Cerebral Lipidoses 1 1 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 59 76 135 Cirrhosis 12 7 19 Clostridium Difficile 1 3 4 Colon Cancer 16 24 40 Complications of Surgical Procedure 0 Congestive Heart Failure 90 104 194 Coronary Artery Disease 8 9 17 Cranial Hemmorhage 3 3 Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease 1 1 Debility 9 25 34 Deep Vein Thrombosis 1 1 Dementia 50 98 148 Diabetes 1 4 5 Diabetic Ketoacidosis 1 1 Emphysema 2 2 Endocarditis 1 1 Page 8 Endometrial Cancer 3 3 Esophageal Cancer 10 5 15 Failure to Thrive 31 48 79 Gastric Cancer 1 1 G.I. Bleeding 10 12 22 Glioblastoma 1 1 Heart Cancer 1 1 Heart Disease 16 23 39 Heart Failure 3 3 6 Hemoptysis 1 1 Hepatitis 0 HIV / AIDS 2 2 Hypopituitarism 1 1 Hypertension 1 1 Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia 0 Instracerebral bleed 1 1 2 Ischemic Bowel Disease 1 1 Kidney Disease 14 9 23 Kidney Failure 42 35 77 Laryngeal Cancer 1 1 Leiomyosarcoma 0 Leukocystosis 0 Leukemia 12 9 21 Liver Cancer 13 11 24 Liver Disease 9 1 10 Liver Failure 8 1 9 Lung Cancer 106 89 195 Lung Disease 1 1 Lymphoma 12 13 25 Malignant Melanoma 2 2 Malignant Neoplasm 2 5 7 Malnutrition 2 2 Melanoma 1 3 4 Mesothelioma 3 3 Metastic Cancer 7 2 9 Mouth Cancer 0 Multi-Systems Failure 2 2 Muscular Dystrophy 2 2 Myasthenia Gravis 1 1 Myoplastic Syndrome 2 2 4 Myelodioplasia 0 Myelofibrosis 0 Myeloma 5 2 7 Nasal Cancer 1 1 Neck Cancer 2 2 Neoplasm 8 8 Neuroendocrine Cancer 0 Organ Failure 0 Ovarian Cancer 13 13 Pathological Hip Fracture 1 1 Pancreatic Cancer 28 17 45 Pancreatitis 2 2 Page 9 Parkinsons 19 13 32 Peripheral Vascular Disease 1 1 2 Peritonitis 1 1 Picks Disease 1 1 Pneumonia 43 37 80 Pelvic Cancer 1 1 Plasmacytoma 0 Prostate Cancer 19 19 Pulmonary Embolism 13 7 20 Pulmonary Fibrosis 4 3 7 Pulmonary Vascular Disease 1 4 5 Rectal Cancer 7 4 11 Renal Cancer 9 7 16 Respiratory Arrest 0 Respiratory Distress 0 Respiratory Failure 24 21 45 Seizure 2 1 3 Septic Shock 4 5 9 Sepsis 28 29 57 Sleep Apnea 1 1 Skin Cancer 2 2 4 Soft Tissue Cancer 1 1 Stomach Cancer 2 1 3 Stroke 3 4 7 Spinal Cancer 2 2 Subdural Hemorrhage 2 2 Testicular Cancer 1 1 Throat Cancer 2 1 3 Thyroid