Bannock County extends MOU with Idaho State Police for early toxicology indicators

Bannock County commissioners approved a one-year extension of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Idaho State Police to receive early toxicology testing indicators that the county coroner said can return preliminary results within days.

Tory Danner, Bannock County coroner, told commissioners the MOU covers toxicology testing that provides an "early indicator" of substances in a decedent's system; full toxicology results can still take three to four weeks. "This is an early indicator to let me know if there's potentially something in their system and then they have to confirm it," Danner said. She said the service comes at no cost to the county.

Danner said the county has not needed the service recently but that maintaining the agreement preserves access to quicker preliminary results and supports a plan to place drug-testing equipment in Pocatello under a separate grant the Idaho State Police are pursuing with the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. She said she had spoken with Matthew Gamet, described in the transcript as the director, about continuing the arrangement.

A commissioner moved to approve the MOU "as presented." The board voted in favor and the motion passed.

Danner said the MOU is available to use when the coroner determines preliminary testing is helpful for an investigation; she described taking multiple samples in cases that will proceed to full autopsy testing. Commissioners did not direct additional funding or changes to coroner procedures in the motion.