Medical Examiner Annual Report

Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office
5059 S. Lakewood Road, Bldg. C.
Fort Mohave, AZ 86426

Phone: (928) 505-5888 | Fax: (928) 505-5889 
Email: admin@mohaveme.com
https://mohaveme.com/

Chief Medical Examiner: Archiaus Mosley, M.D.

The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office operates 24 hours a day/7 days per week.

Our Office Hours are: Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., with the exception of major holidays.

The Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office investigates sudden, violent, unexpected, and suspicious deaths that occur in Mohave County. The Office of the Medical Examiner certifies death after investigation and postmortem examination and issues the death certificate as required by law. Complete findings of the death investigation are distributed to families and law enforcement agencies as appropriate.

The main duties of the Office of the Medical Examiner are to determine the cause and manner of death, and certify deaths that are reported to the medical examiner. The cause of death is the disease process or injury that resulted in death. There are thousands of diseases and injuries that may result in death. The manner of death is a classification in which a determination is made regarding whether the death resulted from natural causes, homicide, suicide, or an accident. On occasion, the manner of death is classified as indeterminate.

Information collected during the investigation helps clarify the circumstances, such as the sequence of events prior to death. Evidence collected during an investigation and/or postmortem examination may help lead to the arrest or successful conviction of a suspect in a homicide case. Because deaths occur around the clock, medical examiner staff members are available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

With the skill and experience of the medical examiner investigators and boardcertified forensic pathologists, we believe in the  quality of death investigations in Mohave County.. The death scene investigation reports filed by the investigators are thorough and supply comprehensive information to the medical examiners.

Our medical examiners and investigators also extend their duties to the living by answering questions and addressing concerns regarding deaths within the county. Medical examiner investigators frequently make personal contact with family members of a deceased and assist them by providing appropriate answers regarding the circumstances of the death.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Mohave County Board of Supervisors for their support of the medical examiner program and the services we provide to the citizens of the Mohave County.

2024 MCMEO Summary

2024: A Story of Resilience

If there’s one word that could define 2024 for our office, it would be uncertainty. From the first months of the year until its close, questions about the future hung over us like a heavy cloud. Rising operational costs, a tightening budget, staffing shortages, and the looming possibility of major changes made every day feel like we were standing on shifting ground.

The uncertainty was not just abstract — it had real, daily impacts. Hiring freezes meant that when valued team members left, we couldn’t replace them quickly. Those who stayed took on heavier caseloads, stretched thinner with each passing month. Staff meetings often became spaces not only to share updates, but also to voice concerns, frustrations, and the very real fear about what might happen to the office, to our jobs, and to the families we serve.

In the middle of all this, we moved. After years in Lake Havasu, we packed up our desks and relocated to Fort Mohave — a move that would ultimately give us more space and a more central location within the county.

There were days when the pressure was palpable. The weight of doing more with less, the fear of what tomorrow might bring — it could have broken us. But it didn’t. Instead, it revealed something powerful: our commitment. Even in the face of instability, our staff showed up, day after day, for the families who rely on us. They adapted. They encouraged one another. They didn’t let the uncertainty define their work.

Toward the end of the year, glimmers of hope began to appear. Two new full-time investigators joined the team, bringing fresh energy and a sense of rebuilding. The move to Fort Mohave became an opportunity for a fresh start in a new space. 2024 was, without question, one of the hardest years this office has faced. Yet it was also a year that proved the strength, heart, and resilience of this team. Through every challenge, we remembered why we are here — and we remained committed to serving the families who count on us.

Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) and the Medical Examiner

Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) § 11-593, the Office of the Medical Examiner provides death investigation and postmortem examination services for deaths that occur within the geographical boundaries of Mohave County and are considered to be sudden, violent, suspicious, unexplained, or unattended. The Medical Examiner has the authority to order an autopsy at any time it is deemed necessary to determine or con rm the cause and manner of death. Not all deaths reported to Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office fall under the jurisdiction of the Medical Examiner. Some of the deaths reported are certified by the decedent’s primary care physician. In order to be considered a Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office case, the death must have occurred within the borders of

Mohave County or within a county or region in which the Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office has authority pursuant to a intergovernmental agreement.

11-593. Reporting of certain deaths; failure to report; violation; classification A. Any person having knowledge of the occurrence of the death of a human being including a fetal death that is required to be reported pursuant to subsection B, of this section shall promptly notify the nearest peace of cer of all  information in the person’s possession regarding the death and the circumstances surrounding it. B. Reporting is required in the following circumstances:

1.                  Death when not under the current care of a health care provider as de ned pursuant to section 36-301.

2.                  Death resulting from violence.

3.                  Unexpected or unexplained death.

4.                  Death of a person in a custodial agency as de ned in section 13-4401.

5.                  Unexpected or unexplained death of an infant or child.

6.                  Death occurring in a suspicious, unusual, or unnatural manner, including death from an accident believed to be related to the deceased person's occupation or employment.

7.                 Death occurring as a result of anesthetic or surgical procedures.

8.                 Death suspected to be caused by a previously unreported or undiagnosed disease that constitutes a threat to public safety.

9.                 Death involving unidenti able bodies.36-861. Medical examiner; release of information A. The county medical examiner or individual legally delegated that authority shall release the name, contact, information, and available medical and social history of a decedent whose body is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner to:

1.                  The designated procurement organization, hospital, accredited medical school, dental school, college, or university of an anatomical gift executed pursuant to section 36-844.

2.                  Any procurement organization under procedures adopted by the medical examiner for coordination of the procurement of anatomical gifts.

B. If the decedent’s body or part is medically suitable for transplantation, therapy, research, or education, the medical examiner, or individual legally delegated to that authority, shall release postmortem examination results to a procurement organization. The procurement organization may make a subsequent disclosure of the postmortem examination results or other information received from the medical examiner only if relevant to transplantation or therapy.

 Medical Examiner Staff

Forensic Pathologists:

• Archiaus Mosley, M.D- Chief Medical Examiner
• John Hu, M.D., PHD- Forensic Pathologist (PT)
• Caroline Cross, M.D- Forensic Pathologist (PT)

Administration:

• John Hassett- Director of Operations
• Veronica Dennis- Investigations Supervisor
• Susan Plourde- Forensic Operations Manager/ Office Manager

Investigations:

• Dolores Wilson
• Elizabeth Donovan (PT)
• Mia Kolczynski
• Oscar Lizarraga

Medical Examiner Cases Definition

• Declined Jurisdiction: refers to cases that are reported to the Medical Examiner’s Office but jurisdiction is not invoked as the circumstances of death do not meet MCMEO criteria subsequent to Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) § 11-593.
• Invoked Jurisdiction: refers to cases that are reported to the Medical Examiner’s Office and jurisdiction is invoked in accordance with Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) § 11-593.
• Examinations: postmortem examinations to include:  external examinations, limited examinations, and full examinations conducted by the Medical Examiner.
  • Full Autopsy: a complete external and internal examination of a decedent. ·
  • Limited Examination: an examination in which dissection of the body is limited to a specific organ or region of the body, i.e., heart. The limited examination also includes an external examination.
  • External Examination: an examination of the exterior of a decedent. Deaths certified without postmortem examination: death certificates that are certified by MCMEO following a medical records review without a postmortem examination.
• BNA (Body Not Admitted)- In cases where examination of the body is unnecessary, the Medical Examiner will formulate conclusions based on a review of the records.
• Death Certificate Case: refers to cases that meet the Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) § 11-593 and thus; MCMEO jurisdiction is invoked, however; a postmortem examination is not required in effort to certify the death.

2024 Cases

In 2024 out of 2,519 cases:

54% of cases were Hospice Notifications

28.1 % of cases were Decline- Naturals

10.1% of Cases were Accidental Deaths

3.3% of Cases were Suicide Deaths 3% of Cases were Natural Deaths

Less than 1% were Homicide Deaths

Less than 1% were Pending Deaths

Less than 1% were Undetermined Deaths

Cases Year over Year

Autopsies 2024

 2024 Cities of Passing

2024 Passing by Region