Chelan County Coroner

Wayne Harris, Coroner

The Chelan County Coroner's Office investigates violent, suspicious, unnatural, and sudden unexplained deaths within Chelan County. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW 68.50.010) provides the legislative foundation for the function of the Coroner.

The main purpose of the Coroner's Office is the determination of the cause and manner of death in cases that are of concern to the public's health, safety, and welfare. This determination is made on the basis of investigation and examination.

Investigations are usually performed in conjunction with a law enforcement agency and involve the collection of information regarding the circumstances of death as well as the medical and social history of the decedent.

Examinations are performed to document evidence of injury and disease. Examinations may include autopsies. The autopsy is a test used by a pathologist to determine the cause of death and to collect specimens for toxicology. Autopsies are performed at the discretion of the Coroner in accordance with RCW statutes.