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Chester County Coroner's Office
24/7 Death Reporting Line: 610-383-7000
Mission Statement
The Chester County Coroner's Office is an independent agency serving the citizens and honoring the deceased of the county by investigating the facts and circumstances concerning jurisdictional deaths which have occurred within Chester County. We determine the cause and manner of death, the identity of the decedent, and provide notification to the legal next of kin, while exhibiting the highest degree of compassion, professionalism, and integrity.
Forms
- Cremation Permit Request Form for Funeral Homes
- Report Request for Next of Kin
- Report Request for Attorneys and Insurance Companies
- Death Certificates: Copies are provided by the PA Dept of Health- Vital Statistics
Survivor's Guide
The Survivors Guide / Guia Para la Famila is provided by the Coroner's office to assist survivors with decision-making and helpful solutions during their time of loss.
Chester County Coroner's Office Hosts Continuing Education Training on Xylazine

(More than 160 people, many representing the first responder community, attended the Chester County Coroner’s Office xylazine training event)
The Chester County Coroner’s Office hosted Xylazine: Arrival, Trends & Effects of this Prevalent Drug, its first-ever continuing education training seminar/webinar, on Friday, September 15.
Xylazine is a large animal sedative used as an adulterant in illicit drug mixtures, commonly combined with fentanyl, and is referred to as “Tranq.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved it for veterinary use only as there are no known uses for human consumption. Xylazine causes tissue necrosis (tissue death) in all body areas, not just at the injection site, leading to sepsis and sometimes amputation, ultimately leading to death.
Over 160 people attended the training in person or virtually. They included staff from the Chester County Coroner’s Office/Medical Examiner’s Office, Department of Emergency Services and Department of Human Services, law enforcement officers, first responders, rehabilitation professionals, and others. Speakers from the FBI, the Chester County Department of Drug & Alcohol Services (D&A), the Coroner’s Office, and others discussed how xylazine has infiltrated the illicit drug scene across the country – including in Chester County – its devastating effects on the human body, and treatment options.
National Coroner and Medicolegal Death Investigator Appreciation Week (January 23rd-29th)
The Chester County Board of Commissioners proclaimed January 29th, 2023 as National Coroner and Medicolegal Death Investigator Appreciation Day with an official proclamation that you can view HERE. The Coroner's Office appreciates the recognition by the Commissioners, which highlighted the dedication and commitment of our office to the citizens of Chester County. As "last responders" we can experience secondary trauma and emotional fatigue due to the nature of our work, but we continue to work tirelessly to investigate all deaths reported to our office with the utmost integrity and compassion.
(from left to right: back row- First Deputy Coroner Jesse Poole-Gulick, Deputy Coroner Greg Allen, Deputy Coroner Devyn Grasso, Chief Deputy Coroner Caroline Johnson, Commissioner Josh Maxwell; front row- Commissioner Michelle Kichline, Coroner's Office Manager Jennifer Polonoli, Coroner Sophia Garcia-Jackson, and Commissioner Marian Moskowitz.)
Current Year Statistical Data
Coroner jurisdiction is over certain kinds of deaths (as detailed in State Statute Title 16 P.S., County Code) that occur within Chester County. The location of the event leading to the death or the residence of the decedent prior to death may in some cases be outside Chester County. Location of death is the governing factor in determining Coroner jurisdiction and inclusion in these data.
2023 Statistics
Manner of Death | Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov | Dec | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Natural | 100 |
74 |
100 |
73 |
84 |
78 |
67 |
68 |
644 |
||||
Accidental | 18 |
17 |
17 |
21 |
20 |
17 |
18 |
6 |
134 |
||||
Homicide | 0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
||||
Suicide | 7 |
1 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
1 |
35 |
||||
Pending | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
34 |
45 |
||||
Undetermined | 1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
||||
Total Cases |
126 |
93 |
125 |
98 |
108 |
103 |
101 |
863 |
Case Type
Type of Case | Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July | Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov | Dec | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jurisdictional | 75 |
50 |
49 |
46 |
47 |
51 |
55 |
56 |
373 |
||||
Non-Jurisdictional | 51 |
43 |
76 |
52 |
61 |
52 |
46 |
53 |
381 |
||||
Totals | 126 |
93 |
125 |
98 |
108 |
103 |
101 |
109 |
754 |
Accidental Deaths
Type of Accident | Total |
---|---|
Drug Overdose | 58 |
Fall | 36 |
Motor Vehicle Collision | 25 |
Environmental Exposure | 0 |
Drowning | 2 |
Asphyxiation Related | 5 |
Fire Related | 0 |
Poisoning | 2 |
Firearms | 0 |
Other | 6 |
Total Cases |
134 |
Suicides
Type of Suicide | Total |
---|---|
Firearms | 19 |
Hanging | 10 |
Overdose | 3 |
Traumatic Injury | 1 |
Poisoning | 1 |
Other | 1 |
Total Cases |
35 |
Homicides
Type of Homicide | Total |
---|---|
Firearm | 2 |
Sharp Force Injury | 0 |
Other | 0 |
Total Cases | 2 |
Undetermined
Type of Undetermined | Total |
---|---|
Undetermined | 2 |
Firearms | 1 |
Total Cases | 3 |
2023 COVID-19 Deaths Reported to the Coroner's Office
Type of Case | Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID-19 Deaths | 21 |
9 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
46 |
Other Statistics
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cremation Requests | 293 |
238 |
281 |
205 |
222 |
231 |
208 |
1678 |
|||||
Full/Partial Autopsy | 21 |
18 |
25 |
25 |
23 |
33 |
28 |
33 |
206 |
||||
External Autopsy | 11 |
10 |
6 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
7 |
67 |
||||
Toxicology Testing Only | 2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
||||
Organ Donors | 3 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
5 |
6 |
2 |
34 |
* Statistics as of September 27th, 2023
Links
- Chester County Coroner's Office Statistics
- Chester County Coroner's Office Annual Reports
- 2021 Annual Report
- 2020 Annual Report
- 2019 Annual Report
- 2018 Annual Report
- 2017 Annual Report
- 2016 Annual Report
- Overdose Free PA Statistics
Contact Us
-
Sophia Garcia-Jackson, MS, F-ABMDI
Coroner601 Westtown Road, Suite 090
West Chester, PA 19382
Ph: 610-344-6165
Fx: 610-344-6018
Office Hours: M-F 8:30am-4:30pm
Email