|
|
|
The
Mission of the Thurston County Coroner
The difficult and complicated work of medicolegal death investigation is done with the intention of providing thoughtful and caring attention to the circumstances, time and causes of death to those who die within the jurisdiction of the
Thurston County Coroner’s Office.
Representatives of the Coroner’s Office offer compassionate support to individuals and family members at the scene and/or upon notification of a death, and provide complete and comprehensive investigative documentation to ascertain an accurate determination of cause and manner of death.
At all hours of the day or night, under rigorous weather conditions, and in the face of complicated emotions, the
Thurston County Coroner’s Office brings empathy and understanding to the challenges of medicolegal death investigation for the citizens of Thurston County and the community at large. |
|
|
|
Vision
Statement
Thurston County is located in a unique region that has seen unprecedented growth in the last decade. As this area continues to develop, the
Thurston County Coroner’s Office will see a consistent escalation in natural and traumatic deaths with rising urban density across all demographic indicators and increasing traffic flow on both Interstate and surface
streets. In conjunction with other county, state and federal agencies, the Coroner’s Office remains committed to training and upgrading in preparedness for the possibility of a natural or other disastrous multi-fatality event. The
Thurston County Coroner’s Office will continue to maintain its position on the forefront of understanding and implementing the latest innovations in medicolegal death investigation with the same concern and compassion as in the past.
|
|
|
|
|
History
In medieval England, the task of death investigation initially fell to the Sheriffs who were resident in every county, or
“Shreve.” As was the custom of the day, these local officials enriched themselves by confiscating personal property and real estate belonging to deceased individuals.
During the reign of Richard, Coeur de Lion (Lionheart), at the latter end of the 12th century, this practice was changed as the King realized he was not getting his due, in large part because of the greed of the Sheriffs. He needed to refill his depleted coffers after drawing them down to finance his participation in the Crusades.
King Richard appointed Hubert Walter as Chief Justiciar, and it was he who established the precedent for what became known as the “Crown’s Man,” or “Crowner.” He appointed middle-class Knights to the position, in the perhaps overly optimistic belief that these appointments of affluent gentlemen would reduce any temptation for them to follow the Sheriffs' habit of
embezzlement - the assumption being that they were in no need of further wealth.
Over time, the qualification of being a Knight and of a certain affluence vanished. However the dishonesty and greed that was apparently inherent to the office continued to be an issue, albeit not quite to the degree it was under the Sheriffs.
Eventually, the position of “crowner” or “coroner” (from the Latin "custos placitorum coronas") became an elected position. The practice of the Coroner being an investigator of unusual, suspicious and traumatic deaths was imported to the British colonies as they were developed, and ultimately adopted as a standard by the newly-formed United States, where it continues in a more judicious form to the present day. |
|
|
|
|
