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Medical examiner reports stable overall deaths in 2024 but flags drug trends and infant fatalities
Summary
Dr. Patrick Hansma presented the WMU-affiliated medical examiner's 2024 annual report to the Calhoun County Board: overall deaths were stable, there were eight homicides (six firearm-related), 41 drug-related deaths (mostly accidental), and four infant deaths—all autopsied—while methamphetamine/crack and some fentanyl analogs showed rising signals.
Dr. Patrick Hansma, medical examiner for the WMU Homer Streicher MD School of Medicine, presented Calhoun County's 2024 annual report at the Nov. 20 Board of Commissioners meeting.
Hansma said the county's total number of deaths reported to the office remained fairly stable in 2024 and that the number of complete autopsies performed declined slightly. He noted that natural causes remain the majority of cases, followed by accidents, suicides and homicides; the office certified eight homicides in the county last year, six of which were firearm-related.
The report listed 41 drug-related deaths in 2024; 39 were certified as accidental and two as suicide. Hansma said toxicology trends across the 14 counties his office serves show opioids are not as dominant as in earlier years, while methamphetamine and crack cocaine are rising as contributors to overdose fatalities. He also warned that some designer fentanyl analogs (carfentanil, acetyl fentanyl) reappeared after a lull and are being monitored.
Hansma emphasized infant deaths reported to the office: four infants in 2024 were handled by his office and all were autopsied; he pointed to unsafe-sleep circumstances as a recurring contributor across the region. On suicides, he said the cases cluster around middle-age to older adults but acknowledged small numbers can create apparent spikes that may be statistical noise.
Commissioners thanked Hansma and invited questions; the medical examiner offered to provide deeper toxicology data in a separate report. "We are never ahead," he said of toxicologic deaths, noting that illicit drug manufacturers often outpace systems designed to detect and prevent new compounds.
