Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Vital Statistics topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Huerfano County coroner reports 98 deaths in past year; fentanyl present in all overdoses
Summary
Coroner Bonnie Valdez told the Huerfano County Board of County Commissioners that her office handled 98 deaths in the past year, including 45 scene investigations and 19 autopsies; she reported seven suicides, eight accidental deaths and five drug overdoses in which fentanyl was present.
Bonnie Valdez, Huerfano County coroner, told the Board of County Commissioners on July 5 that the coroner’s office recorded 98 deaths in the county over the past year and conducted scene investigations in 45 of those cases.
Valdez said 19 of the investigated deaths required autopsy and that the office sent autopsy cases to the El Paso County coroner’s office for forensic pathology and toxicology. “The coroner’s office is a state statute mandated position,” Valdez said, describing the office’s duties to determine and certify cause and manner of death, notify next of kin and oversee records related to private burials.
The coroner provided a breakdown of manners and causes of death. She said 83 deaths were natural, eight were accidental and seven were suicides; there were no homicides or undetermined deaths reported. Valdez told commissioners that five deaths involved drug use and that fentanyl was present in every overdose case. Cardiac disease was identified as the leading cause of death, followed by cancer and respiratory disease.
Valdez described seasonal and daily patterns the office tracks: November was the busiest month this past year, and Saturday was the busiest day of the week. She also provided an age range for decedents from 24 days to 101 years. Valdez explained her office’s process for determining whether an autopsy is required, including scene investigation, medical-record review and family history, and noted that certain categories — suicides, motor vehicle crashes and some accidents — automatically trigger autopsy under statute.
On private burials and historic cemeteries, Valdez said county rules do not currently set minimum acreage requirements and the coroner has no jurisdiction over cemetery caretaking. She described the information the coroner records when a private burial is registered with the county clerk — including GPS coordinates — and encouraged associations or property owners to keep caretaker records. “We need to look at whether we should provide clearer guidance for private burials in the county,” she said, noting some neighbors have asked about the practice.
Valdez thanked county staff and law enforcement for support and answered commissioners’ questions about private cemeteries and registration procedures. No formal action by the board followed the report.
