Resident urges review after Northampton County coroner retains belongings following suicide

Jennifer Zingales, a Palmer Township resident, told the Northampton County Council on May 1 that the county coroner’s office kept original personal items — including a self‑written obituary, a journal and a phone — after her brother died by suicide on Jan. 8 and has refused to return originals to the family.

Zingales said she received a coroner-issued death certificate on Jan. 10 and later learned the office had taken a self‑written obituary. “No one gave us the chance to honor his final wishes,” she said, adding that county staff told her the originals would be kept “indefinitely” as evidence and that no written procedures were provided when she requested them.

The issue prompted questions from council members during the public‑comment period and a response from the county coroner. The coroner told the council the office treats potential suicide notes as evidence and “evidence is retained…