Date:	May 07, 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 2006. 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.

Whereas 2005 was the busiest year in my 27-year tenure, 2006 saw a decrease in death investigations and creamations. However, we remained busy. Of concern this year is the increase of accidental drug related deaths. This office over the past several years has noted deaths from recreational intakes of prescription drugs. Rather than an overdose of a single compound, most of the deaths this year have been from a poly drug overdose causing, in most cases, respiratory depression and the death. Also, of statistical note, this office once again investigated two homicides which are higher than the yearly average.

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 2006

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. Michael's Hospital
		Dr. Lloyd Arnold
		Dr. Jason Heese
		Dr. Sabine Hale
	Forensic Pathologists
		Dr. Robert Huntington, III
		Dr. Michael Stier
		Dr. Michael Corliss
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
2006

 

Scott Rifleman, Coroner
Tracey Kujawa, Chief Deputy Coroner

GENERAL STATISTICS

Total deaths in Portage County		405
	Male	243
	Female	246
Portage County residence that died in other counties		84
Out of county residences that died in Portage County		39
Final dispositions of the dedeceased reviewed by the coroner's office		405
Deaths reported to the coroner's office for review and investigation		253
Deaths reported to coroner pursuant to s.979.01 WI.statues		93
Cremation permits issued pursuant to s.979.10		160
Autopsies performed		16
Local		8
	Dr. Lloyd Arnold	3
	Dr. Jason Heese	1
	Dr. Sabine Hale	4
Forensic		8
	Dr. Michael Stier	3
	Dr. Robert Huntington, III	4
	Dr. Michael Corliss	1
Number of cases per investigator:
Scott Rifleman, Coroner		86
Tracey Kujawa, Chief Deputy Coroner		38
Paul Mattlin, Deputy Coroner		45
Erick Przybylski, Deputy Coroner		37
Gary Koehmstedt, Deputy Coroner		0
Total hours of investigation		1048
CAUSE OF DEATHS BY CLASIFICATION:
NATURAL DEATH		171
Aneurism		3
Aspiration		2
Alzheimers Like Dementia		4
Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease		7
Cardiac - arrythmia		4
Cardiac - myocardial infarction		31
Cardiomyopathy		3
Congestive Heart Failure		11
Cerebral Vascular Accident		11
Cancer		40
Dehydration / Malnutrition		4
Diabetis		3
Gastro - intestinal hemorrhage		1
Ischemic bowl		2
Leukemia		2
Liver Failure		1
Multisystems failure		1
Multiple sclorosis		1
Parkinson's disease		3
Pneumonia		6
Pulmonary emboli		7
Renal failure		4
Respiratory failure		6
Sepsis		7
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome		2
ASHD		5
Positional anoxia		1
Meningitis		1
HOMICIDE
Stabbing		1
Blunt Force Trauma		1
Sex:
	Male	1
	Female	1
Age Group:
	0-10	0
	11-20	2
	21-30	0
	31-40	0
	41-50	0
	51-60	2
	61-70	0
	71-80	0
	81-90	0
	91-100	0
	100+	0
SUCIDE
Firearms		5
Drug Overdose		1
Pedestrian - Train		1
Stabbing		1
Sex:
	Male	7
	Female	1
Age Group:
	0-9	0
	10-20	1
	21-30	2
	31-40	1
	41-50	1
	51-60	2
	61-70	1
	71-80	0
	81-90	0
	91-100	0
	100+	0
Blood Alcohol Results:
	Drinking >.08gm%	1
	Intoxicated >=.08gm%	1
TRAFFIC RELATED		6
Motor Vehicle - Driver		4
Motor Vehicle - Passenger		1
Motorcycle - Driver		1
Sex:
	Male	5
	Female	1
Age Group:
	0-10	0
	11-20	2
	21-30	0
	31-40	2
	41-50	2
	51-60	0
	61-70	0
	71-80	0
	81-90	0
	91-100	0
	100+	0
Blood Alcohol Results On Drivers:
	Negative. =.00 gm%	0
	Drinking .<.08 gm%	4
	Intoxicated. >=.08 gm%	1
ACCIDENTAL		19
	Falls	7
	Falls From Height	1
	Environmental	1
	Recreational	1
	Asphyxia	2
	Drug Overdose	5
	xx	1
	Suffocation	1
Sex:
	Male	13
	Female	6
Age Group:
	<1 year	1
	01-10	2
	11-20	0
	21-30	0
	31-40	3
	41-50	2
	51-60	0
	61-70	2
	71-80	3
	81-90	4
	91-100	2
	100+	0
LOCATION OF DEATHS
St. Michael's Hospital		57
Stevens Point Care Center		23
Portage County Health Care Center		15
St. Josephs Convent		0
TOWNSHIPS
Alban		4
Almond		1
Amherst		2
Belmont		1
Buena Vista		2
Carson		2
Dewey		1
Eau Pleine		1
Grant		2
Hull		8
Lanark		1
Linwood		2
New Hope		0
Pine Grove		3
Plover		1
Sharon		4
Stockton		3
VILLAGES:
Almond		0
Amherst		1
Amherst Junction		0
Junction City		0
Nelsonville		0
Park Ridge		3
Plover		15
Rosholt		0
Whiting		2
Stevens Point		28
OUT OF COUNTY
St. Josephs Hospital		2
Aspirus Hospital		0
Riverview Hospital		0
Out of County		4
FUNERAL HOMES
Boston Funeral Home		54
Pisarski/Dzikoski		44
Shuda Funeral Chapel		54
A. J. Holly & Son's		9
Gasperic Funeral Home		1
Voie Funeral Home		4
Martin/Kundinger Funeral Home		4
Out of area funeral home		31
Body Donation		1
Creamation Society of Wisconsin		1
Leikness/Stahl Funeral Home		3