DeKalb County Coroner's Office

09/15/2026

09/08/2026

💜September is National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month💜

🌎Thursday, September 10th is World Su***de Prevention Day🌎

💔From 2022 to present DeKalb County has suffered the loss of 39 people to su***de. 💔

There is help; there is hope.

🦋988 Su***de and Crisis Lifeline🦋

The morning after I killed myself, I woke up.

I made myself breakfast in bed. I added salt and pepper to my eggs and used my toast for a cheese and bacon sandwich. I squeezed a grapefruit into a juice glass. I scraped the ashes from the frying pan and rinsed the butter off the counter. I washed the dishes and folded the towels.

The morning after I killed myself, I fell in love. Not with the boy down the street or the middle school principal. Not with the everyday jogger or the grocer who always left the avocados out of the bag. I fell in love with my mother and the way she sat on the floor of my room holding each rock from my collection in her palms until they grew dark with sweat. I fell in love with my father down at the river as he placed my note into a bottle and sent it into the current. With my brother who once believed in unicorns but who now sat in his desk at school trying desperately to believe I still existed.

The morning after I killed myself, I walked the dog. I watched the way her tail twitched when a bird flew by or how her pace quickened at the sight of a cat. I saw the empty space in her eyes when she reached a stick and turned around to greet me so we could play catch but saw nothing but sky in my place. I stood by as strangers stroked her muzzle and she wilted beneath their touch like she did once for mine.

The morning after I killed myself, I went back to the neighbors’ yard where I left my footprints in concrete as a two year old and examined how they were already fading. I picked a few daylilies and pulled a few weeds and watched the elderly woman through her window as she read the paper with the news of my death. I saw her husband spit to***co into the kitchen sink and bring her her daily medication.

The morning after I killed myself, I watched the sun come up. Each orange tree opened like a hand and the kid down the street pointed out a single red cloud to his mother.

The morning after I killed myself, I went back to that body in the morgue and tried to talk some sense into her. I told her about the avocados and the stepping stones, the river and her parents. I told her about the sunsets and the dog and the beach.

The morning after I killed myself, I tried to unkill myself, but couldn’t finish what I started.

-Meggie Royer

08/31/2026

🦋TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY🦋

Since 2022 our county has suffered 21 unintentional overdose deaths; even 1 is too many.

Over recent years we’ve seen a downward trend in these statistics. We persist in our efforts to continue this path of decrease by attending fatality review meetings and subsequently addressing areas of concern, by providing community education and substance abuse resources, and partnering with law enforcement in an effort to remove the source of supply.

We know we have more work to do and we won’t ever stop.

💜Because every life matters. 💜

08/27/2026

🎈RIP Dolly and Tim Curry🎈

08/16/2026

Friday night I received a call that there was thought to be an active shooter at our local Walmart. As the county coroner, my team and I have trained and prepared for just such situations but hope that this training is never needed.

I subsequently turned on my county radio and listened to the radio traffic. I listened as dispatchers clearly and calmly conveyed information to responding units. I listened as officers calmly and methodically cleared the store, the parking lot, and other nearby areas. Medics and firefighters staged nearby so as to provide quick response should medical care be needed.

Thankfully, there was no active shooter, though someone had called, in the midst of the situation, to report a bat in their house. 🦇

It's true that we live in a world where active shooters and other evils exist. It's also true that we live in a world where there are still good, kind, brave, people who show up to protect and care for perfect strangers.

It's easy to become immersed in negativity; look no further than social media for a heaping daily dose. While I am not naive to the evils of the world, and I certainly do not see the world through rose colored glasses, I still see good in this world. I am thankful to be surrounded by the best kind of people; those same people who showed up Friday night because it was the right thing to do.

Every day you make a choice; you choose the kind of world you want to live in. Choose wisely.

Jennie Short
DeKalb County Coroner

🌍💚🎼”In a world full of hate, be a light.
When you do somebody wrong, make it right.
Don't hide in the dark, you were born to shine.
In a world full of hate, be a light.”🎶💚🌍
-Thomas Rhett

07/26/2026

On Sundays we like to get up very early, while most are still sound asleep, and watch documentaries. Except for Clarence, seen here yawning; he’d prefer to watch Chicago PD. This morning we watched a documentary about trauma cleaners, often referred to as biohazard cleaners; a job most people could never do.

All of the cleaners who were interviewed expressed a sincere desire to help others.

We often work with trauma/biohazard cleaners and we appreciate them so much. It’s a much needed, too often overlooked, role. They are unsung heroes!

At the end of the documentary, the founder of one such company was asked how she would like to be remembered, to which she replied, “Kind.” Something we should all strive to be.

💚”In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” -Clare Pooley💚

07/17/2026

⁉️WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE CORONER’S OFFICE ⁉️

Each spring, county department heads are tasked with preparing a budget for their respective departments for the upcoming year. I submitted ours months ago and subsequently presented to the County Council this week, on my tiptoes, at a podium I still couldn’t fully reach, while sweating profusely.

I didn’t ask for any additional funding, though I believe my teammates are priceless. I did ask for a few moments to relay what we’ve done with the resources we’ve already been afforded.

Thus far this year we’ve:

-Handled 81 calls
-Provided education to high school classrooms, practitioners and community groups
-Attended countless Touch-A-Truck events; there are those who prefer not to touch our truck, and that’s okay
-Participated in fatality review meetings
-Provided resources for grief, substance abuse and other issues
-Stocked the van with children’s books, toys, coloring books and crayons for kids who are struggling at scenes
-Attended training to maintain and enhance our skills and knowledge
-Collaborated with other agencies
-Helped find homes for pets after the loss of their owners
-Delivered way too much terrible news, but also provided much needed answers
-Gave lots of hugs

And so much more.

Our department has a comparatively small budget, but that doesn’t stop us from doing lots of big, important things.

💚We are so thankful for the support and trust of our community leaders and of the community as a whole.💚

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!♥️
-Jennie

P.S. I will remember to bring my own step stool next year.