May 28, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause and manner of death for 37-year-old Bryan Bostic as the effects of methamphetamine. The manner of death is accident. According to reports, around 21:25 hours on March 10, officers from the Inglewood Police Department conducted a traffic stop…
read moreMay 19, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause and manner of death for 12-year-old Khimberly Alexandra Zavaletachuquipa as spontaneously ruptured cerebellar arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The manner of death is natural. According to reports, on February 17, Ms. Zavaletachuquipa was struck in the back of the head…
read moreApril 22, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause and manner of death for 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez as multiple penetrating injuries caused by object(s). The manner of death is homicide. Ms. Rivas Hernandez was discovered at 1100 hours on September 8, 2025, in the front trunk…
read moreApril 10, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner was informed today of the plea deal reached in the case involving a former medical examiner investigator. “The Department of Medical Examiner has a duty to provide the utmost care for the deceased, including their personal property,” Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey Ukpo said. “I stand committed…
read moreApril 6, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) responded this morning to the 100 block of East Osgood Street in Long Beach after being notified yesterday of the discovery of possible human remains. Members from the DME’s Special Operations Response Team (SORT) recovered a skeletonized human skull and mandible…
read moreMarch 20, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 22-year-old Emily Beutner as effects of mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, quetiapine, and mirtazapine. The manner of death is suicide. Shortly after midnight on January 6, 2026, Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel responded to a field near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Technology Drive in Palmdale and found Ms.…
read moreFebruary 23, 2026 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 34-year-old California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer Miguel Cano as the effects of fentanyl. The time and route of how the fentanyl was introduced into Officer Cano’s system is unknown and cannot be determined. The manner…
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January 28, 2026 – Full accreditation is restored to the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) from the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), following nearly a decade under provisional accreditation. The DME lost its full accreditation in 2016 due to changes in criteria needed to sustain the full accreditation, which was further affected by the pandemic as the case load increased and staffing shortages emerged. The DME responded with smarter approaches, efficiencies and perseverance to meet…
read moreDecember 29, 2025 – On December 24 at 10:30 a.m., the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (Department) received a court order, initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), to place a security hold on Medical Examiner case numbers 2025-19480 and 2025-19481, Robert and Michele Reiner. While the cause and manner of…
read moreDecember 9, 2025 – The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 64-year-old Carrie Elizabeth Romney to be blunt traumatic injuries. The fatal injury occurred after falling from the rooftop of a parking structure in Valencia. Death was pronounced on October 10 at 20:37 hours by responding…
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