Urgent Message Regarding the Coroner’s position on the current ballot

This is a very important message regarding the current Skagit County Ballot concerning the Coroner. Due to unforeseen circumstances our current coroner Daniel Dempsey is a write in on the ballot and I would like to encourage everyone voting to write him in. Daniel Dempsey has personally explained to me the circumstances surrounding the current situation and for the betterment of the county he is running once more for Skagit County Coroner. According to the Skagit County Coroners webpage the duties of the Coroner are this: “The Coroner is an Elected Official with the responsibility for determining the Cause and Manner of Death of all persons who pass within the jurisdictional boundaries of Skagit County. The Coroner or his/her Deputies are required to adhere to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW Titles 36.24 & 68.50) for determining if a case is a jurisdictional death that would require a more thorough and in-depth investigation.“

The position of Skagit County Coroner requires a lot of training to do the job correctly. We cannot allow an unqualified person to be the main death investigator in our area, this could have devastating consequences.

Daniel Dempsey’s has been in medical positions since 1973. This is one of the most important qualifications one should have when investigation a death. After serving in the navy for six years Daniel went on to receive his LPN, respiratory care certificate, and associate’s degree in nursing from Skagit Valley College. Daniel then went on to work as a registered nurse at Skagit valley hospital from 1980-2006. From 2007-2008 Daniel was the nursing supervisor at United General Hospital before transferring back to Skagit Valley Hospital as a Nursing Supervisor where he currently works today. Between 2000-2007 Daniel was the deputy Coroner for Skagit County and in 2007 became the Skagit County Coroner where he is currently serving his second term. Daniels continuing education while serving as Coroner from the Criminal Justice Training Center in Burien includes, Sexual assault investigations, Bloodstain pattern analysis for crime scene reconstruction, Homicide Investigation and many more vital training seminars from other various training centers.

Personally and also as a Funeral Director and Funeral Home owner myself it is my hope that we will not allow someone inexperienced to take office as the Skagit County Coroner. This is a very important position in our community that requires immense experience in the field to be as complete and thorough as is needed. It is my hope that when submitting your ballots for this year’s primary that you will use the write in box under coroner and put Daniel Dempsey. Thank you for your time. And please remember to vote today.

Christopher Garnett
Donovan’s Funeral Home
360-424-1002