Media Release Information


All information on this page has been requested by media.
 
For all media requesting information: e-mail to [email protected] . Note that this information will be updated periodically Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., media should check back here for updates.

The postmortem report is confidential in the State of Washington (RCW 68.50.105). For family members of the deceased requesting information about obtaining postmortem reports, please call the Medical Examiner's Office at (509) 477-2296 or e-mail to [email protected].   

  • Note that this page will be archived in January of each year, archiving all release information from the previous year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, April 11, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of a man who died who died at Sacred Heart Medical Center on February 27, 2018 as the result of an incident in in the 1500 block of N. Nelson in Spokane, WA on February 26, 2018.

Name: Thomas William Delafield
Age: 34 Years
Cause of Death: Penetrating gunshot wound to head
Manner: Pending Law Enforcement Investigation

Pending - is a temporary designation for cause and/or manner when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification. Pending is amended once all information and test results are received.

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, April 10, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause and manner of death of a woman who died as the result of an incident in the 3100 block of E 8th Ave, in Spokane, WA on April 7, 2018.

Name: Keli Jo Weber-Lovitt   (AKA: Keli Jo Jurdy)
Age: 50 Years
Cause of Death: Perforating gunshot wound of head
Manner: Homicide

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, April 10, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity of a woman who was found at the Waste Management Center in the 2900 block of S. Geiger in Spokane, WA on April 5, 2018.

Name: Stephanie A. Standen
Age: 79 Years
Cause of Death: Pending
Manner: Pending

This office was able to locate next of kin on April 11, 2018 after being unable to do so for several days.

Thank you to those members of the public who contacted this office.
_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, April 5, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause and manner of death of an individual who died as the result of an incident in the 600 block of W. 1st in Spokane, WA on February 20,2018.

Name: Jacob Juviler
Age: 19 Years
Cause of Death: Multiple blunt injuries
Manner: Suicide
_________________________________________________

Media is requesting information regarding an incident which occurred on the 700 block of South Ivory St on 03/08/2018. As of 0930 no report has been made to the Medical Examiner's Office. This page will be updated when information is available.

*** Updated 1400 03/08/2018 ***

The case was reported to our office today at 1000. This page will be updated when information is available.

*** Updated 1434 03/09/2018 ***

SPOKANE COUNTY, March 9, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the woman who died as the result of an incident at the 700 block of South Ivory on 03/08/2018.

Name: Allison L. Davie
Age: 69 Years
Cause of Death: Smoke inhalation
Manner: Pending fire investigation

Pending - is a temporary designation for cause and/or manner when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification. Pending is amended once all information and test results are received.

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, March 7, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the man who died at Sacred Heart Medical Center on 06/20/2017 as the result of an incident at the Spokane County Jail on 06/15/2017.

Name: Brandon P. Ryans
Age: 41 Years
Cause of Death: Hanging
Manner: Suicide
_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, March 7, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the man who died at the Spokane
County Jail on March 1, 2018.

Name: David R. Good
Age: 52 Years
Cause of Death: Pending
Manner: Pending

Pending - is a temporary designation for cause and/or manner when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification. Pending is amended once all information and test results are received.
_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, February 8, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the woman who died at Sacred Heart Medical Center on February 2, 2018 as the result of an incident in Cheney, WA on January 29, 2018.

Name: Sunny J. Mika
Age: 62 Years
Cause of Death: Penetrating gunshot wound to head
Manner: Pending Law Enforcement Investigation

Pending - is a temporary designation for cause and/or manner when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification. Pending is amended once all information and test results are received. 

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, January 30, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the woman who died as the result of an incident in the 7600 block of N. Division in Spokane, WA on January 26, 2018.

Name: Michele Renee Purkey
Age: 53 Years
Cause of Death: Extensive fractures of the base and vault of the skull with brain lacerations due to blunt impact - crush injury of skull
Manner: Vehicular Accident

Any determination by the Medical Examiner of Suicide, Accident or Homicide in no way limits the ability of law enforcement to investigate to whatever extent they deem appropriate or necessary; nor is the manner of death as determined by a Medical Examiner the same as the prosecutor's legal determination, for example, most motor vehicle deaths are classified as "accident " by the Medical Examiner, however the prosecutor may pursue a legal charge of "vehicular homicide".

_________________________________________________

Media is requesting information on the following case from 2013, the following information was originally release on September 9, 2013:

Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms
the identity and cause and manner of death  of the individual who was found September 9, 2013 on N. Monroe St. in Spokane, WA

SPOKANE COUNTY, September 9, 2013 – The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the identity and cause and manner of death of the individual who was found September 9, 2013 on N. Monroe in Spokane, WA

Name: Julian D. Morrison
Age: 26 Years
Cause of Death: Gunshots wounds
Manner: Homicide

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, January 24, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the man who died as the result of an incident in Cheney, WA on January 23, 2018.

Name: Mark R. Weigand
Age: 22 Years
Cause of Death: Perforating gunshot wound of head - mouth
Manner: Suicide

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, January 23, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity of the woman who was found on January 14, 2018  at Cable Creek and Appleway Blvd. 

Name: Donna Marie Kemp
Age: 58 Years
Cause of Death: Pending
Manner: Pending

Pending - is a temporary designation for cause and/or manner when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification. Pending is amended once all information and test results are received. 

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, January 22, 2018 - Media is requesting information regarding an incident which occurred at Riverfront Park in Spokane, WA on January 19, 2018. At present, this office has no information to release. 

******Updated January 25, 2018:

Name: Lorae S. Sims
Age: 63 Years
Cause of Death: Transtentorial herniation of the brain due to skull fracture with brain contusions due to blunt impact to head
Manner: Accident

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, January 9, 2018 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the woman who died as the result of an incident in the 1000 block of S. Buena Vista in Spokane, WA on January 6, 2018.

Name: Jade M. Bost
Age: 64 Years
Cause of Death: Multiple stab wounds and multiple incised wounds
Manner: Homicide

_________________________________________________

SPOKANE COUNTY, December 28, 2017 - The Spokane County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity and the cause of death of the man who died as the result of an incident in the 1000 block of E. 18th in Spokane, WA on December 24, 2017.

Name: John W. Cummings
Age: 56 Years
Cause of Death: Perforating gunshot wound to head
Manner: Suicide

_________________________________________________











.





Definitions:

Cause of Death:
Cause of Death is used to indicate the medical cause of death, listing the disease(s) or injuries that caused death. Specific cause of death information is recorded on the death certificate and is entered into the Washington State Vital Statistic system.

Manner of Death:
Manner of Death is a statistical classification on the death certificate, the way in which death is categorized per the Washington State Department of Health (Accident, Homicide, Natural, Suicide, Undetermined).

Death Certification:
The Death certificate is a Washington State Health Department Document, NOT a Medical Examiner or Coroner document, the death certification process includes manner of death classification of (Accident, Homicide, Natural, Suicide, Undetermined), intended to describe the action associated with a death, if any, for public health department vital statistics purposes. The manner of death as used by the Office of the Medical Examiner does not address presence or absence of intent, culpability or justification of any action associated with a death and therefore any determination by the Medical Examiner of Suicide, Accident or Homicide in no way limits the ability of law enforcement to investigate to whatever extent they deem appropriate or necessary; nor is the manner of death as determined by a Medical Examiner the same as the prosecutor's legal determination, for example, most motor vehicle deaths are classified as "accident " by the Medical Examiner, however the prosecutor may pursue a legal charge of "vehicular homicide".

Accident - is defined as a death other than natural, where there is no evidence of intent, i.e. unintentional.

Homicide - is defined as a death due to the acts of another.

Natural - is defined as a death solely by organic disease. If natural death is hastened by injury (such as a fall), the manner of death will not be considered natural.

Pending - is a temporary designation for cause and/or manner when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification. Pending is amended once all information and test results are received.

Undetermined - is the manner of death assigned when there is insufficient evidence or information to assign to accident, homicide, suicide or natural categories, or when 2 plausible manners are equally likely.

* When a death is un-witnessed the date of discovery is recorded as the date of death.

* See the Medical Examiner's Annual Report for details regarding causes and manner of death is Spokane County.


The postmortem report is confidential in the State of Washington (RCW 68.50.105). For information about obtaining postmortem reports, please call the Medical Examiner's Office at (509) 477-2296 or e-mail to [email protected].