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OFFICE OF THE CORONER
LARAMIE COUNTY
Rebecca Reid, Coroner
Office: (307) 637-8000
Fax: (307) 633-4524
To the Citizens of Laramie County,
It is my pleasure to present the 2023 annual report for the Laramie County Coroner’s Office.
The goal of providing this information is to be transparent and provide statistical data, while
maintaining confidentiality, respect, and integrity to the citizens of Laramie County.
The information in this report is compiled from records generated by the Laramie County
Coroner’s Office. The data provided represents numerical, demographic, and statistical
information.
Hopefully you will find this information useful for your research endeavors. If you have any
questions or need further information or clarification, please contact the Laramie County
Coroner’s Office.
Respectfully,
Rebecca Reid, Coroner
Laramie County, Wyoming
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MISSION & VISION STATEMENT
To provide professional medicolegal death investigation by determining cause and
manner of death, identifying decedents, notifying next-of-kin, and protecting decedent’s
property.
To be the leader in providing compassionate & efficient service to the people we serve in
accomplishing our mission statement
DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND FUNCTION OF THE
LARAMIE COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE
The Office of the Laramie County Coroner was established with jurisdiction coextensive with
the boundaries of Laramie County, Wyoming.
It shall be the duty of the county coroner to determine the cause of death of any person
reported to them as having been killed by violence; has suddenly died under such
circumstances as to afford reasonable grounds to suspect or infer that death has been caused
or occasioned by the act of another by criminal means; has committed suicide; and to
determine the cause of all deaths as to which applicable state law makes it the duty of the
coroner to sign certificates of death.
As the community continues to grow, so does the role of the Laramie County Office of the
Coroner. The office has three distinctive divisions that work well together in an effort to provide
support to the other divisions as well as to the public we are called upon to assist. Due to the
nature of this most sensitive business, our goal is to provide compassionate service to those
that we serve.
An obligation rests with each staff member to render honest, efficient, courteous and discrete
service on behalf of the office.
As an overview of the office, a call is received reporting a death. An investigator is dispatched to
the location and conducts an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. If the
case falls under our jurisdiction, the decedent is transported to our office where an autopsy or
external examination is conducted to determine the cause and manner of death. The
investigator generates a written report, which is provided to the Forensic Pathologist prior to
the autopsy/examination. If an autopsy is performed, an autopsy report is generated. The
decedent is then released to a local funeral home. A Death Certificate is generated.
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WYOMING STATE STATUTES
CHAPTER 6
Standards dealing with the Investigation of Coroner’s Cases
Section 1: Definitions.
W.S. 7-4-104 is appended to these standards as Appendix A and adopted and incorporated
herein.
Section 2: Conduct.
Coroners shall act in accordance with all relevant state and federal law. In addition, in dealing
with the deceased, the family of the deceased, and the general public, the Coroners shall
conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the highest standards of professionalism,
compassion, and respect.
Section 3: General.
(a) The Coroner shall work jointly with all law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction in a
death scene investigation.
(b) The Coroner has jurisdiction over and shall take custody of the body.
(c) The Coroner shall assume responsibility for the property of the deceased.
(d) Evidence is the responsibility of law enforcement and/or the Coroner.
(e) The Coroner shall protect the chain of custody for any evidence in their custody.
(f) The Coroner shall provide for transportation, security, and preservation of the deceased
until released to the next of kin or their designee.
(g) The Coroner shall pronounce death, and record the date, time, and location.
(h) The Coroner shall provide for the notification of next of kin.
(i) The Coroner shall provide the office staff and investigators:
(i) Safe and adequate equipment to perform any duties of the office; and
(ii) Adequate and appropriate safety and personal protective equipment suitable for the
circumstances of the investigation.
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Section 4. Investigations.
(a) The Coroner shall identify the deceased and determine the Manner and Cause of death as
accurately as possible.
(b) In determining the Manner and Cause of death, the investigation shall include:
(i) Scene Investigation;
(ii) Toxicology sample on the deceased;
(iii) Inventory of property, evidence, and medications;
(iv) Photographs;
(v) External Exam; and
(vi) DNA sample.
(c) The Coroner shall issue a written report for all death investigations. The written reports
may include but are not limited to, data from measuring devices, diagrams, evidence and body
labeling, interviews, psychological and social histories, medical histories and consultation with
physicians, autopsy, fingerprints, radiology, odontology, or DNA profiles or any other method
necessary to determine the cause and manner of death.
(d) Investigations requiring a forensic autopsy of the deceased shall be conducted by a Forensic
Pathologist who has been certified in that specialty by a nationally recognized certification
board.
(e) All investigations will be completed in a reasonable time. The term ‘reasonable time’ is
defined as that time period necessary to complete and collect data and information from
toxicology, autopsy, or other investigation procedures, to determine with medical certainty a
manner and cause of death.
Section 5. Records.
The Coroner shall maintain all public records in accordance with W.S. 9-2-405 through 9-2-413.
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STAFF
The staff of the Laramie County Coroner’s Office consists of the following:
Coroner: Rebecca Reid
Rebecca moved to Cheyenne, WY in 2013 and is proud to call Cheyenne her home.
She has extensive field experience and educational qualifications that have served
the countless communities she has been a part of. Prior to moving to Cheyenne,
Rebecca served as death investigator with the District 14 Medical Examiner’s
Office in Panama City, Florida for seven years. She served as Deputy Coroner for
Laramie County Coroner’s Office from December 2013, before being promoted to
and serving as Chief Deputy Coroner in October 2014. She is currently in her
second term serving as the Laramie County Coroner and continues to advance her field of specialty in
medicolegal death investigation, with continuing education and hands on training in the field. She is the
Chair of the Wyoming Board of Coroner Standards and is on the training committee for the Wyoming
Coroner’s Association. Rebecca has embraced the responsibility that comes with guiding families
through the most difficult time in their lives, the loss of their loved ones. Rebecca’s promise is to
continue serving Laramie County and each decedent and family member with dignity, compassion, and
respect.
Chief Deputy Coroner: Char Madden
Char was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming and graduated from
Central High School. She has always had a passion to help people, which
lead her to a career in law enforcement. Char started her law enforcement
career when she was 21 years old working at the Laramie County Detention
Center as a deputy sheriff and was later promoted to Sergeant. Char
continued to work at the detention center until 2009 but stayed with the
Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy. In 2012 Char took a position with the Pine Bluffs Police
Department as a patrol officer and during this tenure started teaching D.A.R.E. to 6
th
graders.
In 2015 Char returned to the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office working as a patrol deputy and
specialized as an FTO (Field Training Officer), mounted patrol, and D.A.R.E Officer.
She transferred to the Laramie County Coroner’s Office in January 2019. Char also has been to
numerous schools and training to include investigations, cold case homicide investigations,
crimes against children, blood splatter analysis training, and crime scene photography and
processing.
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Deputy Coroner: Theresa Patterson
Theresa was born in Laramie, Wyoming and moved several times to
different states including Littleton, Colorado and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Theresa graduated from Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, SD in 1998.
She then moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming in 2002. Cheyenne is now her
home with her husband, children, and grandson.
Prior to moving to Cheyenne, Theresa worked for a local funeral home and
enjoyed taking care of decedents and their families. She served as a Sheriff’s Department
dispatcher and a Central Control Operator in the Laramie County Jail for several years and has
built a good understanding of law enforcement. She is invested in our community and wants to
help the families in our county after loss by taking care of their loved one.
Deputy Coroner: Jennifer Brosious
Jennifer was born and raised in Craig, Colorado, and graduated from the
University of Wyoming in 2002. She moved to Cheyenne in 2004 and
proudly considers it her home.
Prior to working at the Laramie County Coroner’s Office, Jennifer worked for
the Wyoming Department of Family Services for 13 years, as well as working
in various capacities as a Social Worker in Cheyenne, focusing on child protection and helping
families in crisis. She began volunteering for the Laramie County Grief Support Group and LOSS
team in 2023 and continues to lead the Grief Support Group meetings in Cheyenne. Jennifer is
passionate about helping families who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
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Executive Assistant: Amber Dancliff
Amber was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri and is from the small town of
Oregon, MO., situated in the Northwest corner. She went to a K through 12
school, where she played basketball and volleyball and graduated in a class
size of 35. She moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1998, and is married with
two children.
Amber began working for Laramie County Coroner’s Office in January of
2019 once the newly elected coroner Rebecca Reid took office. She is well versed in the process
of the Laramie County Coroner’s Office and is very passionate about what she does.
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SIZE AND POPULATION OF LARAMIE COUNTY
The geographic area serviced by the Laramie County Coroner’s Office
includes all of Laramie County, as well as incorporated towns of Pine
Bluffs, Burns, Albin, Carpenter, Hillsdale, and the City of Cheyenne.
Laramie County is 2,688 square miles located in the SE corner of Wyoming and shares a border
with Nebraska to the east and Colorado to the south. It is at the crossroads of two major
interstate highways and two major railroads. Residents enjoy a stable, growing economy, a
high-quality of life, excellent educational system, and a low tax structure.
As of April 1, 2020, the United States Census Bureau reported Laramie County’s population as
100,512, which makes Laramie County the largest populated county in Wyoming. Cheyenne is
the county seat and state capital for Wyoming.
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CAUSE AND MANNER OF DEATH
The Cause of Death is the official determination of the disease or injury and the sequence of
events responsible for the occurrence which leads to the individual’s death.
The Manner of Death is the description used to classify the conditions that caused a death and
the circumstances by which they occur. Manner of death is determined largely by means of the
investigation. In Wyoming, there are five (5) manners of death, listed below.
NATURAL: Death caused by disease process.
SUICIDE: Death as a result of a purposeful action to end one’s own life.
ACCIDENT: Death other than natural where there is no evidence of intent.
HOMICIDE: Death resulting from injuries intentionally inflicted by another person.
UNDETERMINED: Manner assigned when there is insufficient evidence, or conflicting/
equivocal information (especially about intent), to assign a specific manner.
STATISTICS
The Laramie County Coroner’s Office investigated 354 deaths during 2023. All 354 cases were
completed with an investigation. The number of deceased transported to the morgue is 275.
Of the 354 deaths, 243 were classified as “natural” deaths, 54 accidental deaths, 20 suicide
deaths, 5 homicide deaths, 4 undetermined manners of death, 28 assist outside agencies, and 0
cases were non-human remains. Out of the total cases, 11 were county funded burials, all of
which were unclaimed.
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SUICIDES
Suicide is death caused by intentional, self-inflicted injuries. In Laramie County during
2023 there were 20 suicides compared to 26 in 2022. There were two deaths by suicide that
were non-Laramie County residents.
0
1
2
3
4
3
2
1 1
2
0
4
2 2
0
1
2
2023 Suicides by Month
12
SUICIDES (Continued)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Gun Shot Wound Asphyxiation Due to
Ligature Hanging
Drug Toxicity
14
3 3
2023 Mechanism
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Male Female
16
4
2023 Gender
13
SUICIDES (Continued)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
12-24 25-44 45-64 65-84 85-90 91-95
6
7
6
1
0 0
2023 Age Range
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ACCIDENTAL DEATHS
Accidental deaths are those deaths that are other than natural where there is no evidence of
intent; i.e. an unintentional event or chain of events. This includes most motor vehicle crashes,
falls, drowning, accidental drug overdoses, fire related deaths, accidental gunshot wounds, etc.
During 2023, 54 deaths were classified as accidental.
30
8
7
2
3
1 1
2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Accidental Deaths 2023
37
17
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Male Female
Gender 2023
15
ACCIDENTAL DEATHS-DRUG OVERDOSE
In 2023, the Laramie County Coroner’s Office investigated 30 accidental drug overdose cases.
Two of the accidental drug overdose cases were non-Laramie County residents.
3
2
3 3
2 2
4
2
3 3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
2023 Overdose Deaths by Month
16
ACCIDENTAL DEATHS-DRUG OVERDOSE (Continued)
8 8
3
4
1
2
1 1 1 1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
2023 Drug Overdose Statistics
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ACCIDENTAL DEATHS-DRUG OVERDOSE (Continued)
19
11
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Male Female
2023 Gender
4
14
12
0 0 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
15-24 25-44 45-64 65-84 85-90 91-95
2023 Age Range
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HOMICIDE
Homicide is death resulting from injuries intentionally inflicted by another person. In 2023
there were 5 homicides.
3
1 1
0
1
2
3
Gunshot Wound Manual Strangulation and
Suffocation
Manual Strangulation
Homicides 2023
1
4
0
1
2
3
Male Female
Gender 2023
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NATURAL DEATHS
Out of the 243 Natural Deaths the top six are listed. There were 3 undetermined deaths for
2023.
The cardiac category includes all cardiac events such as Myocardial Infarction, Sudden Cardiac
Death, Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Congestive Heart Failure, etc.
The respiratory category would include all respiratory events such as COPD, Emphysema, etc.
Fetal Demise is a clinical term for stillbirth used to describe the death of a baby in the uterus.
The term usually applies to losses at or after the 20th week of gestation.
117
14
4
40
10
14
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Cardiac Neurologic Kidney Respiratory Gastrointestinal
Bleed
Cancer
Natural Top Six 2023
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INVESTIGATIONS
Total investigations completed by the Laramie County Coroner’s Office in 2023 totaled 354
cases. Out of the 354 cases, 275 cases had a scene investigation conducted by the Laramie
County Coroner’s Office. These cases included human vs non-human remains and cases which
are reported to our office after the fact or backwards cases. The Laramie County Coroner’s
Office declined jurisdiction on 51 cases, as they did not meet the requirements for a coroner’s
case. The Laramie County Coroner’s Office had 1 unidentified human remains case in 2023.
297
352
416
538
445
354
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Cases
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AUTOPSY
The Laramie County Coroner’s office ordered 96 full autopsies and no partial autopsies were
conducted. An autopsy is just one of the many tools the coroner’s office depends on to help
determine the manner and/or cause of death. All 96 autopsies included an external exam
conducted by a forensic pathologist.
Not all deaths are autopsied. Required autopsies by state statute are those who are babies or
children, all homicides, prisoner, trustee, inmate or patient of any county or state corrections
facility or state hospital, suspicious deaths (to include anyone with trauma), and anyone who
has not seen a doctor or does not have a primary care physician to advise why the deceased
died.
TOXICOLOGY
111 cases had toxicology captured. 96 out of the 275 cases had full autopsy with toxicology
captured and tested, while 179 cases had toxicology captured, which will be retained for one
year, then destroyed.
BODY EXAMS
All bodies transported to the Laramie County Coroner’s Office have a body exam completed by
an investigator. The investigator will take photographs, collect blood samples, fingerprints, a
DNA card, and inventory clothing and personal property. In 2023, a body exam was completed
on 275 cases by an investigator at the Laramie County Coroner’s Office.
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YEAR –TO-DATE SUMMARY REPORT 2023
Laramie County Coroner's Office
Year-to-Date Summary Report
End Date: 12/31/2023
Category
Jan
Feb Mar
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Suicide 3 2 1 1 2 0 4 2 2 0 1
2 20
Accident 5 3 4 7 3 5 6 5 6 5 2
3 54
Natural 18 19 31 26 22 18 12 19 20 15 21
22 243
Homicide 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1
0 5
PENDING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Undetermined 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1
0 4
Assist out side agency* 5 1 3 4 1 1 0 2 4 1 5
1 28
Non-Human 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
TOTALS 32 25 39 38 29 26 22 29 34 21 31 28 354
Backward Cases** 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 2
County Funded Burials 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 2 1 1
0 11
Donor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Eye Bank 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Autopsy 9 8 9 10 6 10 9 9 8 6 6
6 96
Exhumations 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Unclaimed Bodies 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 2 1 1
0 11
Abandoned Bodies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
Unidentified Bodies 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 1
* Assist outside agency: The Coroner may be called to assist another county or State in making notification to the the
legal next of kin.
**Backward Cases: Coroner cases that were not reported to the coroner at the time of death. By the time the notification
of death is reported to the coroner, the final disposition has already been determined and the body has either been cremated or buried,
A paper investigation is then completed by the coroner in order to rule a cause and manner of death for completion of the
death certificate.
Toxicology:
Specimens are drawn on all cases for toxicology purposes.
External Examinations:
Performed on all cases
