Coroner predicts continued increase in Cowlitz County autopsies
The Cowlitz County Coroner's Office expects to see another increase in autopsies this year, Coroner Dana Tucker reported at a Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday.
Since the beginning of 2026, the coroner's office has completed 57 autopsies, Tucker said.
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The coroner's office completed 81 full autopsies in 2023, according to its most recent annual report. It performed 38 in 2022.
It's also receiving more calls this year. The number of calls in May 2026 doubled compared to May 2025, Tucker said.
Some of the 2026 autopsies were related to the May 26 chemical spill at the Nippon Dynawave paper mill in Longview, which killed 11 workers, but Tucker said that was not the only reason for the spike.
"I don't know what it is lately," she said. "It's just been a lot of weird cases all of a sudden."
Cowlitz County Coroner logo
Logo of the office of the Cowlitz County Coroner on a department-issued vehicle.
When are autopsies necessary?
The coroner's office does not complete autopsies for everyone who dies. Deaths from clear natural causes, some overdose deaths and deaths where the victim was at fault in a vehicle accident usually don't require autopsies, Tucker said.
Autopsies are typically done if there are suspicious circumstances indicating a possible homicide, for anyone under 18 years old, for young people without a known medical history and for vehicle accident victims who were not at fault.
The reason the coroner's office performs autopsies on accident victims who are not at fault is that evidence of their death is likely to be needed in court, Tucker said.
Over the past several years, the coroner's office has reported increasing numbers of drug-related deaths. It recorded 52 drug overdoses in 2024, 49 in 2023 and 31 in 2022. Data for 2025 is not yet available.
Financial effects
The state government is required to reimburse counties for 40% of the cost of autopsies in most cases, but counties can sometimes petition for extra reimbursement.
Tucker said she plans to request that the state reimburse the full cost of the autopsies related to the Nippon chemical spill, as well as overtime pay. She is also looking into state funding set aside for mass disasters, she said.
"We have a lot of funds going out the last month, but I'm looking at how we can recoup some of that," she said.
The coroner's office is budgeted to spend about $1.1 million in 2026. So far this year, it has spent $457,148, Cowlitz County Finance Director Shawn Roewe reported at the Monday meeting.
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