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Coroner
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.
History of the Coroner's Office by Christina VandePol, M.D.
Chester County Coroner Christina VandePol, M.D. recently wrote an article titled "The Coroner's Office Then and Now - 334 Years of History" which was published in the Chester County Medical Society's magazine "Chester County Medicine".
OverdoseFreePA
The Chester County Coroner’s Office is participating in a partnership of Pennsylvania communities unified in the fight against the opioid overdose crisis. OverdoseFreePA provides resources, information and a thorough breakdown of overdose data from participating counties. View Overdose Deaths data for Chester County and Pennsylvania.
Forms
- Coroner Report Request Form for Next of Kin
- Cremation Request Form
- Death Certificate - Copies are provided by the PA Department of Health, Vital Statistics
- Reports for Attorney's and Insurance Companies - $500 for a copy of an autopsy report and $100 for a copy of a toxicology report, plus an administrative fee of $35. Copies of photographs are $25 each. Contact the Coroner's Office at 610-344-6165 to verify reports and/or photographs are available.
Survivor's Guide
The Survivors Guide is provided by the Coroner's office to assist survivors with decision-making and helpful solutions during their time of loss.
Survivors Guide in Spanish (Guia Para La Familia)
2019 Statistics
| Manner of Death | Jan |
Feb |
March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural | 63 |
74 |
81 |
55 | 60 | 73 | 73 | 57 | 77 | 54 | 65 | 77 | 809 |
| Accidental | 13 |
23 |
19 |
20 | 27 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 17 | 19 | 223 |
| Homicide | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Suicide | 7 |
3 |
6 |
2 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 57 |
| Pending | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| Undetermined | 1 |
0 |
1 |
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Non-human Remains | 0 |
1 |
0 |
2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Human Remains | 0 |
0 |
0 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Cases | 84 |
101 |
107 |
80 | 94 | 96 | 97 | 78 | 95 | 90 | 83 | 107 | 1112 |
Case Type
| Type of Case | Jan |
Feb |
March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jurisdictional | 44 |
53 |
62 |
45 | 51 | 44 | 44 | 39 | 43 | 52 | 33 | 51 | 561 |
| Non-Jurisdictional | 40 |
48 |
45 |
35 | 43 | 52 | 53 | 39 | 52 | 38 | 50 | 56 | 551 |
| Totals | 84 |
101 |
107 |
80 | 94 | 96 | 97 | 78 | 95 | 90 | 83 | 107 | 1112 |
Accidental Deaths
| Type of Accident | Total* |
|---|---|
| Drug Overdose | 102 |
| Fall | 76 |
| Motor Vehicle Accident | 33 |
| Asphyxia | 2 |
| Choking | 2 |
| Weather Related | 2 |
| Alcohol Poisoning | 1 |
| Poisoning | 1 |
| Blunt Trauma | 1 |
| Falling Object | 1 |
| Drowning | 1 |
| Medical Device | 1 |
| Total Cases | 223 |
Suicides
| Type of Suicide | Total* |
|---|---|
| Firearms | 21 |
| Hanging | 18 |
| Drug Overdose | 8 |
| Blunt Impact Injuries | 4 |
| Asphyxiation | 3 |
| Carbon Monoxide Poisoning | 2 |
| Chemical Poisoning | 2 |
| Total Cases | 57 |
Homicides
Type of Homicide |
Total * |
|---|---|
Firearms |
2 |
| Total Cases | 2 |
Undetermined
| Type | Total* |
|---|---|
| Undetermined | 4 |
| Overdose | 3 |
| Sudden Unexpected Infant Death | 1 |
| Poisoning | 1 |
| Total | 9 |
| Other Statistics | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cremation Requests | 236 | 222 | 230 | 241 | 225 | 194 | 229 | 198 | 193 | 221 | 180 | 289 | 2658 |
| Autopsy Performed | 23 | 30 | 34 | 28 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 17 | 20 | 29 | 12 | 15 | 286 |
| Toxicology Draws Only | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 36 |
| Organ Donors | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
2 | 3 | 2 | 36 |
* Statistics as of December 31, 2019
Links
- Analysis of Overdose Deaths in Pennsylvania, 2016
- Chester County Coroner's Office Statistics
- Chester County Coroner's Office Annual Reports