Community suffered four suicides, 13 drug overdoses in second quarter
This article is brought to you by Moore's Home Health and Medical Supply. For more than 68 years, Moore's Home Health has been Howard County's leading provider of assistive and adaptive home medical equipment and supplies. Call 765-454-5210 or visit Moore's at 608 W. Markland Ave. to let them help meet your healthcare needs!
The numbers are in, and there isn't much to smile about. Howard County Coroner Dr. Steven Seele disclosed death statistics for the second quarter of 2024, which saw a significant jump in the number of drug overdose deaths.
Seele stated that there were 13 overdose deaths from April through June; a three-fold increase over the four overdose deaths reported in the first quarter of the year.
Of those confirmed overdose deaths, seven of them involved Fentanyl and six involved methamphetamines. Six of the deaths involved another illegal substance, and one involved alcohol. Note that some of the deaths showed evidence of multiple substances.
"The Howard County Coroner's Office investigated 74 deaths in the second quarter of 2024 ending on June 30, 2024," said Seele. "Fifty-two of those cases were determined to be due to natural causes. There were four deaths by suicide, 16 accidental deaths, and one case has been ruled as undetermined."
By comparison, the coroner's office investigated 51 cases in the first quarter of the year. There were four suicides in the first quarter as well. There were 238 death investigations conducted by the coroner’s office in 2023, resulting in the discovery of 35 drug overdose deaths and 19 suicides.
When investigating the 74 cases in the second quarter, the coroner's office performed 38 autopsies and requested 41 toxicology studies at a cost of $92,007. Toxicology tests for suspected drug overdoses are paid for by the Indiana State Department of Health. All autopsies are performed by a board-certified forensic pathologist.
Seele explained the coroner's office investigates all deaths that occur from violence, casualty, in apparent good health, from suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances, or have been found deceased. The coroner also reviews all deaths that occur in the hospital emergency room or within 24 hours of admission, and deaths that occur during surgery or while under general anesthesia.
"The coroner is responsible for establishing the identification of the deceased and the cause and manner of death," Seele said. "The coroner is responsible for death notification to the legal next of kin and the personal property found on or near the decedent."