Medical Examiners Release, East 4th Death

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“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SPOKANE COUNTY, March 10, 2016 – The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the identity and the cause and manner of death of the woman who was found on E. 4th in Spokane Valley, WA on March 9, 2016.

 

 

Name: Jessica Mae Peterson

Age: 29

Cause of Death: Pending toxicology

Manner: Pending

Updated May 10th:

Cause of Death: Combined drug toxicity due to use of methadone, alprazolam and

lorazepam

Manner: Accident

 

Pending:  A “pending” cause or manner of death means that the medical examiner is deferring the determination until the death investigation and laboratory studies are complete.  Additional studies can include toxicology tests, laboratory tests such as cultures, and microscopic examination.  On the day of autopsy the death investigation is still in progress.

 

In Medical Examiner cases when alcohol or drugs are suspected as having caused the death or contributed to death, samples are sent to the Washington State Toxicology Lab in Seattle, WA for comprehensive quantitative forensic toxicology testing, not simply a hospital-type urine drug screen. Such forensic analyses are detailed as required in medical/legal matters and typically take anywhere from 2 to 10 weeks to obtain results. Once results are available, the cause and manner of death are assessed based on all of the available evidence.

 

Note – a pending toxicology result does not indicate that the cause of death will necessarily be the result of alcohol and/or drugs

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