Date:	May 02, 2006
To:	Mr. Mark Maslowski, County Executive Mr. O. Philip Idsvoog, Chairman, Portage County Board Members, Public Protection Committee News Media Any Interested Party
From:	Scott Rifleman, EMT-P, ABMDI
Subject:	Annual Coroner's Report, 2005

The Portage County Coroner's Office is pleased to present its complete annual activity report for 2005. The purpose of this report is to better acquaint the reader with the activities of this office and to provide a statistical base for past and future use.

The coroner's office provides a required service to the Portage County community under state statues. In fulfilling these statues, we accomplish the coroner's role of determining the cause and manner of death so as to guard our communities public health and welfare. Further, it is the goal of this office to aid the survivors of a sudden death. We begin their grieving process and help them to understand the loss of their loved one. To serve the living is the true product of our efforts.

2005 was the busiest year in my 26-year tenure. Statistically all categories were up over previous years. The total number of reportable events was up 29% more than 2004. Active death investigations along with investigation hours were up 22%. The acuity level of the types of deaths were much higher involving more intense investigations. We handled two homicides, ten suicides and twenty accidental deaths which require a number of forensic studies and in some cases two investigators. Cremation permits continue to rise as cremation becomes a more popular means of disposition. Cremations were up 17%. The coroner's office is required to investigat all cases where cremation is requested prior to issuing a cremation permit.

I hope this report will better acquaint you with our activities. Please feel free to contact this office if you have any questions.

Portage County Coroner's Office 2005

Staff:	Coroner - Scott Rifleman, EMT-P
		Diplomat, American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
	Chief Deputy Coroner - Tracey Kujawa, EMT-P
	Deputy Coroner's:
		Paul Mattlin, EMT-P
		Erick Przybylski, EMT-P
		Gary Koehmstedt, Investigator
Consulting Staff:	Pathologists, St. Michaels Hospital
		Dr. Lloyd Arnold
		Dr. Jason Heese
		Dr. Sabine Hale
	Forensic Pathologists
		Dr. Robert Huntington, III
		Dr. Michael Stier
Services Utilized:	St. Michael's Hospital
		Morgue
		Labratory
		Radiology
	State Laboratory of Hygiene - Madison
	State Crime Laboratory - Madison, Wausau
	Wisconsin State Historical Society
		Dr. Leslie Eisenburg, Forensic Anthropologist
	DNA Forensic Specialists
	Autopsy Suites
		St. Michael's Hospital
		Veterans Administration Hospital - Madison
		Dane County Coroner's Office

Portage County Coroner's Office
Portage County, WI

Annual Report & Statistics
2005

 

Scott Rifleman, Coroner
Tracey Kujawa, Chief Deputy Coroner

GENERAL STATISTICS

Total deaths in Portage County		441
	Male	280
	Female	238
Portage County residence that died in other counties		77
Out of county residences that died in Portage County		34
Final dispositions of the dedeceased reviewed by the coroner's office		441
Deaths reported to the coroner's office for review and investigation		272
Deaths reported to coroner pursuant to s.979.01 WI.statues		99
Cremation permits issued pursuant to s.979.10		173
Autopsies performed		12
Local		6
	Dr. Lloyd Arnold	3
	Dr. Jason Heese	2
	Dr. Sabine Hale	1
Forensic		6
	Dr. Michael Stier	1
	Dr. Robert Huntington, III	5
Number of cases per investigator:
Scott Rifleman, Coroner		104
Tracey Kujawa, Chief Deputy Coroner		46
Paul Mattlin, Deputy Coroner		35
Erick Przybylski, Deputy Coroner		35
Gary Koehmstedt, Deputy Coroner		3
Total hours of investigation		1,138
CAUSE OF DEATHS BY CLASIFICATION:
NATURAL DEATH		181
AIDS		1
Alcohol overdose - acute		2
Aneurism		1
Aspiration		2
Alzheimers Like Dementia		8
Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease		9
Cardiac - arrythmia		9
Cardiac - myocardial infarction		32
Cardiomyopathy		3
Congestive Heart Failure		7
Cerebral Vascular Accident		13
Cancer		42
Dehydration / Malnutrition		1
Diabetis		2
Gastro - intestinal hemorrhage		1
Ischemic bowl		1
Liver Failure		1
Multisystems failure		1
Parkinson's disease		2
Pneumonia		8
Pulmonary emboli		3
Renal failure		7
Respiratory failure		8
Sepsis		11
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome		2
ASHD		1
Positional anoxia		1
Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease		1
CEREBRAL PALSY		1
Sex:
	Male	96
	Female	85
Age Group:
	0-10	5
	11-20	0
	21-30	2
	31-40	2
	41-50	13
	51-60	25
	61-70	25
	71-80	40
	81-90	54
	91-100	14
	100+	1
HOMICIDE
Firearms		2
Sex:
	Male	2
	Female	0
Age Group:
	0-10	0
	11-20	1
	21-30	0
	31-40	0
	41-50	1
	51-60	0
	61-70	0
	71-80	0
	81-90	0
	91-100	0
	100+	0
SUCIDE
Firearms		6
Hanging		2
Drug Overdose		1
Helium Inhalation		1
Sex:
	Male	7
	Female	3
Age Group:
	0-10	0
	11-20	1
	21-30	1
	31-40	1
	41-50	3
	51-60	1
	61-70	0
	71-80	1
	81-90	2
	91-100	1
	100+	0
Blood Alcohol Results:
	Drinking >.08gm%	0
	Intoxicated >=.08gm%	4
TRAFFIC RELATED		10
Motor Vehicle - Driver		5
Motor Vehicle - Passenger		4
Motorcycle - Driver		1
Sex:
	Male	6
	Female	4
Age Group:
	0-10	0
	11-20	2
	21-30	1
	31-40	1
	41-50	2
	51-60	0
	61-70	2
	71-80	0
	81-90	2
	91-100	0
	100+	0
Blood Alcohol Results On Drivers:
	Negative. =.00 gm%	1
	Drinking .<.08 gm%	1
	Intoxicated. >=.08 gm%	4
ACCIDENTAL		20
	Falls	11
	Falls Fron Height	1
	Industrial	1
	Asphyxia	1
	Drug Overdose	3
	Drowning	1
	Suffocation	1
	Electrocution	1
Sex:
	Male	14
	Female	6
Age Group:
	<1 year	0
	01-10	1
	11-20	0
	21-30	0
	31-40	2
	41-50	2
	51-60	3
	61-70	1
	71-80	2
	81-90	9
	91-100	0
	100+	0
LOCATION OF DEATHS
St. Michaels Hospital		54
River Pines Nursing And Rehab Center		3
Portage County Health Care Center		9
St. Josephs Convent		0
TOWNSHIPS
Alban		0
Almond		2
Amherst		0
Belmont		2
Buena Vista		0
Carson		3
Dewey		3
Eau Pleine		1
Grant		1
Hull		8
Lanark		3
Linwood		1
New Hope		0
Pine Grove		1
Plover		2
Sharon		2
Stockton		4
VILLAGES:
Almond		0
Amherst		0
Amherst Junction		2
Junction City		1
Nelsonville		0
Park Ridge		0
Plover		10
Rosholt		2
Whiting		2
Stevens Point		28
		0
OUT OF COUNTY		0
St. Josephs Hospital		9
Wausau Hospital		0
Riverview Hospital		0
Out of County		3
FUNERAL HOMES
Boston Funeral Home		55
Pisarski/Dzikoski		54
Shuda Funeral Chapel		38
A. J. Holly & Son's		17
Jensen Funeral Home		17
Gasperic Funeral Home		3
Voie Funeral Home		4
Martin/Kundinger Funeral Home		8
Out of area funeral home		21
Body Donation		3
Leikness/Stahl Funeral Home		3