Another search warrant executed on Washington County Coroner’s Office

The Washington County Coroner’s Office was raided again.

The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office tells Channel 11 it assisted Monessen Police in executing a search warrant on the Washington County Coroner’s Office.

Officials say they were forced to execute the warrant to obtain documents needed for an investigation.

“This is uncharted territory for our office. As a law enforcement agency, Monessen Police Department is entitled to this material pursuant to a criminal investigation and prosecution. Pursuing justice and accountability shouldn’t come at a cost to the victim, the victim’s family, or public safety,” Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said.

Sources tell 11 Investigates the records are related to a drug delivery that resulted in death. That death happened on the 600 block of Ninth Street in Monessen on Nov. 21. The victim was rushed to Mon Valley Hospital, where they later died.

The Westmoreland DA’s office is investigating the case since it happened within their jurisdiction.

Sources say the DA’s office was told it would have to pay $500 for the autopsy report and $100 for the toxicology report.

Sources say investigators balked at paying that and showed up with a search warrant. The coroner’s office turned over the reports.

It’s not the first time a search warrant was executed on this coroner’s office. Last November, Channel 11 reported on a search warrant executed amid a dispute over access to autopsy reports.

During that search warrant, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Washington City Police and Canonsburg Police all searched for autopsy reports connected to five cases.

Officials said investigators and the DA’s office had repeatedly requested the documents and were denied.

The DA’s office said it was told three reports were available but would only be released for a fee of about $700 each. District Attorney Jason Walsh said those reports are essential to prosecuting crimes and serving victims.

Coroner Tim Warco at the time told Channel 11 he decided to charge fees because his office isn’t receiving police reports needed to complete autopsies and related records.

Sources say Washington County pays about $2,500 per autopsy. They contract with a forensic pathologist to do the autopsies.

We reached out to the Washington County Coroner’s Office and were provided with this statement:

“This matter involves a Westmoreland County criminal investigation into a drug-related death in which the victim died at Mon Valley Hospital in Washington County, after which the Washington County Coroner performed an autopsy.

“Some weeks ago, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office requested the autopsy report and toxicology reports for its investigation. The Coroner’s Statute provides that the Coroner has the authority to assess fees when services or reports are requested from another county. The established fees for the requested reports amounted to $600, which would operate to offset our approximate out-of-pocket costs of $2,500.00.

“The Westmoreland District Attorney took the position that it did not have to pay these fees, and that they would not pay these fees. So, they raided the Coroner’s Office and took them through the force of a search warrant.

“It is the position of Washington County Coroner Tim Warco that the taxpayers of Washington County should not be responsible for the funding of matters in other counties when there is a mechanism for the recovery of those funds.”

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