Audit finds security gaps, training issues at King County Medical Examiner’s Office

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has some changes to consider after the findings of a recent audit were released.

The King County Auditor’s Office found two main issues: one concerning security and the other regarding how investigators interact with Native American and Alaskan Native families.

King County Medical Examiner’s Office vault has no security cameras, audit finds

Auditors found the medical examiner’s office has no security cameras in its vault. The vault stores cash, medication, and suspected illegal drugs gathered during death investigations.

The auditor’s office found that while the medical examiner’s office collected fewer medication items, the number of suspected illicit drugs increased from around 200 in 2020 to around 850 in 2025. It also discovered the amount of cash the medical examiner’s office collected increased from about $91,000 in 2020 to more than $140,000 in 2025.

Elise Garvey, a principal management auditor in the King County Auditor’s Office, said the medical examiner’s office also doesn’t do regular inventories of the high-risk items. The auditor’s office recommended installing better video surveillance and creating a formal risk strategy to prevent theft and loss.

“This area is secured in other ways, but standards recommend having video surveillance in all areas where high-risk items are stored,” Garvey said.

Investigators feel unprepared working with Native American, Alaskan Native families

Auditors also found some medical examiner investigators feel unprepared when working with Native American or Alaskan Native families, despite staff from local tribes speaking positively about working with investigators.

“They stated that they did not receive training specific to cultural practices, so they felt as though they had to learn by doing, and they added that this approach creates the risk that interactions could go poorly because they would not know if they were doing anything inappropriate or insensitive until it was too late,” Grant Dailey, a management auditor in the King County Auditor’s Office, said.

Dailey said the auditor’s office is recommending new training for medical examiner investigators to make sure they are better prepared for working with Native American or Alaskan Native families.

The medical examiner’s office has agreed to the recommendations, and the audit credited the office for showing a willingness to continuously improve.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest

Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.

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