(Lander, WY) – Fremont County Coroner Erin Ivie offered a quarterly review of activity in her office during a Fremont County Commission meeting last week.
There have been 256 reported deaths in Fremont County so far in 2024, Ivie said, and the coroner’s office has been called 130 times for investigation or referral, ultimately taking on 123 of those cases.
“So, 48 percent of the deaths that have occurred in Fremont County have been coroner cases,” Ivie said. “Compare that to 2023, (and) we’re up by 11 cases so far this year.”
Thirty-five percent of this year’s coroner cases have involved deaths that were “nonnatural in manner,” she said, meaning they were either accident, homicide, suicide, or undetermined.
Of those nonnatural deaths, Ivie said 26 were accidental – two fewer than at this time last year – and nine were attributed to suicide – three more than at this time last year.
Seven of the nonnatural deaths were identified as homicides, she said, compared to three during the first three quarters of 2023, and one was undetermined, compared to three in the first three quarters of 2023.
Accidental
There have been four vehicular deaths in Fremont County so far this year, Ivie said – six fewer than last year at this time.
“All of the four deaths were drug or alcohol related,” she said. “One of them was a pedestrian. All four were single-vehicle. Three of the four involved vehicles equipped with safety restraints. None were in use. All four were accidental in manner.”
Seven of this year’s accidental deaths were related to falls, Ivie said – four from a standing height and three from an “actual height.”
Eight of the accidental deaths were “direct drug or alcohol toxicity,” she said, while four were asphyxial, two involved freshwater drownings and one was a hypothermia death.
No cases are currently pending autopsy or toxicology, Ivie said.
Drugs, alcohol
Thirty-five percent of this year’s coroner cases have been related to drugs or alcohol, Ivie said, including 53 of the nonnatural deaths, all of the homicides, three of the suicides, 12 of the accidental deaths and all of the undetermined deaths.
For nonnatural cases, Ivie said the “most common drug of abuse” is alcohol, which was involved in 26 of those deaths.
Nine of the nonnatural deaths involved methamphetamines, she said, while four involved non-fentanyl opiates and one involved fentanyl.
“Some of these cases may involve more than one substance,” she noted.
Location
The coroner’s office has responded to 48 calls in Riverton so far this year, Ivie said, with 30 responses to Lander; 12 to Dubois; 10 to Fort Washakie; nine to Arapahoe; three to Ethete; two each to Crowheart, Jeffrey City, Shoshoni, Hudson, and Casper; and one to Kinnear.
She pointed out that “calls to Dubois have tripled this year – due to, I believe, an aging population (and) lack of hospice or inpatient facilities.”
The coroner’s office has also received 26 requests for “general data” so far this year and has completed 25 of those, Ivie said.
In addition, they’ve completed 201 requests for “individual case information,” she said, with one pending.
Autopsies
So far in 2024, Ivie said the coroner’s office has completed 26 autopsies for Fremont County cases, plus 25 for “contractual” counties.
“That’s approximately $60,000 in revenue,” she said.
Two “out-of-county” autopsies were scheduled for that day, she said, with two set to occur later in the week in addition to “one of our own.”
“We are keeping Dr. Frost very busy,” Ivie said.
For more information call the coroner’s office at (307) 856-7150.