The Texas County Coroner’s office answered 18 calls in February 2024, compared to 38 the previous month.
In the community, there were 16 natural deaths, including cancer (3), myocardial infarction (3), stroke (2), lung disease (2), pulmonary embolism, diabetic ketoacidosis, cirrhosis of the liver, cardiac arrhythmia, bowel perforation and heart disease.
There was one accidental death in the community due to smoke inhalation. There were no suicides or homicides.
The coroner presented her research to the meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Scientists held in Denver, Colo. The theme of the conference was “Justice for All,” and her presentation was titled “Xylazine: An Emerging Cause of Death in Correctional Facilities.”
“I will not be filing for a third term as Texas County Coroner. I plan to complete a second master’s degree in Toxicology at the University of Florida, a field of forensics I have grown to appreciate greatly during my tenure as coroner. Regrettably, none of the Opioid Settlement funds have been released to the community by the Commissioners as requested by many local facilities offering treatment options for substance abusers,” said Texas County Marie Lasater, RN, MSN, F-ABMDI.