History of the Island County Coroner’s Office

Island County established the Island County Coroner’s Office as an independent County Office on January 1st 1982. Prior to 1982 death investigations were handled by the Island County Prosecutor’s Office.

Past Coroners

The first Coroner elected in Island County was Mike Regan, elected for a one year term in fall of 1981. Mike was retired from the California Highway Patrol. Mike Regan was re-elected the following year for a full four year term. In the fall of 1986 Barbara Anderson defeated Mike Regan in his second re-election bid. Barbara had recently completed her PhD in Anthropology. Barbara then served for two full terms, running unopposed for her second term. In the fall of 1994 Barbara Anderson stepped down to run for Island County Commissioner.

Current Office

Robert Bishop is the third Coroner to serve Island County and was first elected in the fall of 1994. Robert is currently in his fourth term. In addition to Coroner Robert Bishop, the Island County Coroner’s Office has one full time Deputy Coroner, Susan Higman.

The Coroner’s office facility is in the Law and Justice Building on the Coupeville campus. The morgue is in Oak Harbor. There is an additional storage unit for evidence and property on the Coupeville campus.

The Coroner’s office has two vehicles used for investigations and body transport.

The office dealt with 269 cases in 2006 and 327 in 2007. The Island County Coroner’s Office did 52 autopsies in the year 2007.