Cowlitz County coroner reports surge in autopsies and gaps in intercounty reimbursements

Dana Tucker, Cowlitz County coroner, told commissioners the office’s caseload has climbed sharply this year and that intergovernmental reimbursements have lagged. “We’re already at 57 from the beginning of this year,” Tucker said, noting a sharp jump in call volume in May and more cases categorized as suspicious or involving younger people without medical histories.

Tucker said the county typically recoups about 40% of autopsy costs from the state and is exploring additional avenues — including disaster/mass‑casualty funding and overtime reimbursements — to offset the remainder. The coroner also identified outstanding invoices from other counties that staff believe were not received due to email changes; the figures were cited in the meeting transcript as “148374” (2025) and “6,28174” (2026) and staff said those invoices have been resent for payment.

The coroner explained criteria the office uses to decide whether to perform full autopsies — including homicides, deaths of people under 18, and cases without medical history — and described use of an on‑site testing device that can sometimes rule out the need for a full autopsy. Tucker said staff will pursue state mass‑disaster reimbursement processes used by other jurisdictions and will compile expense records to submit for potential reimbursement.

What happens next: coroner's office staff will follow up on unpaid invoices, continue assembling documentation for disaster reimbursement where appropriate, and brief commissioners on grant or reimbursement outcomes as they are available.