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Medical examiner reports fall in accidental drug and fentanyl deaths in 2025
Summary
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Keith Pinkard told the court the office recorded 301 accidental drug deaths in 2025 (down from 380 in 2024) and 111 fentanyl-involved accidental deaths (down from 179), and highlighted the office's in-house toxicology lab and testing timelines.
Dr. Keith Pinkard, chief medical examiner, presented the office's 2025 annual report to the court, summarizing caseload and cause-of-death trends.
The office reported a decline in cases under its jurisdiction to 1,593 in 2025 (about a 10% drop). Accidental drug deaths fell from 380 in 2024 to 301 in 2025, a roughly 21% decline. Fentanyl-involved accidental deaths dropped from 179 to 111 (about 38%). "From 2024 to 2025 there was another 38% drop moving from 179 cases to 111 cases," Pinkard said. The office attributes the improvements to a range of interventions and said trends in other jurisdictions show similar patterns.
Pinkard also emphasized the medical examiner's in-house toxicology laboratory, which handles most testing and is accredited; he noted toxicology quantitation can take up to 90 days. Commissioners thanked staff for the report and for the office's regional role providing autopsy services under interlocal agreements.
