ISACC 2024 Annual Conference Recap

The Idaho State Association of County Coroners (ISACC) held its 2024 Annual Conference from September 26 – 27 at the Oxford Suites in Boise, Idaho. This comprehensive training event gathered 43 elected county coroners and deputy coroners from 26 counties across the state, providing a valuable platform for networking and collaboration with peers and industry leaders. 

ISACC President Pamela Garlock, Boise County Coroner, opened the event with a warm welcome and introductions. Following her remarks, Celena Shrum, Idaho’s Toxicology Discipline Lead, gave a detailed presentation on the state’s advanced overdose toxicology testing equipment. She explained how these tools enhance result turnaround times and improve forensic analysis in complex cases.

The keynote speaker, Michéle Stuart, a private investigator with JAG Investigations, followed by delivering an engaging presentation on using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) in tactical investigations. She emphasized the power of using publicly available data in solving crimes and warned attendees about the increasing use of artificial intelligence in investigations, offering tips and resources to detect misinformation. 

Attendees then enjoyed lunch sponsored by YesIdaho!, an organization focused on promoting and assisting with organ donations.

The afternoon featured Dan Morgan from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) who provided valuable insights into the NTSB’s role in supporting families and facilitating victim identification during mass casualty incidents. Additionally, Brianna Peterson, a toxicologist from NMS Labs, discussed emerging toxicology trends and the complexities of interpreting toxicology results. To conclude the day, attendees enjoyed networking during a social hour sponsored by A.D. Valor Technical Cleaning, a company specializing in crime scene cleanup. 

On the second day, the ISACC Business Meeting was held, which featured a legislative update, the installation of officers, and the approval of the FY2025 budget. The officers installed included Torey Danner from Bannock County as President, Lucky Bourn from Minidoka County as 1st Vice President, Josh Hall from Nez Perce County as 2nd Vice President, and Pamela Garlock from Boise County as Immediate Past President. Pamela Garlock was also presented with her Mills-Adler award.

Torey Danner stated, “I want to express my gratitude for all the support we received from the IAC staff. The networking opportunities and discussions about our association’s future goals were truly valuable. I’m thankful to everyone who contributed to clarifying roles and responsibilities, raising training and education standards, and providing input from all the districts’ coroners to strengthen our coroner system in Idaho.”

After the business meeting, the focus shifted back to education with Crisandra Wilkie from the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center. Wilkie addressed the issue of racial misclassification of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in death records, engaging the audience with a thorough Q&A session to help improve their reporting. 

Lastly, Brett Harding, Chief Deputy Coroner of Ada County, led two informative sessions. The first focused on determining intent in death investigations, guiding attendees through the complexities of distinguishing between accidental deaths, suicides, and homicides. His second session explored the intricacies of medicolegal death investigations, offering practical tips and processes to help coroners enhance their investigation practices. 

The 2024 ISACC annual conference was an invaluable opportunity for knowledge sharing, networking, and professional development.

To view photos from the conference, visit IAC’s Flickr page.