On behalf of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), I am pleased to present the 2020 OCME Annual Report, which provides key statistical data stemming from our critical work in death investigation and certification, as well as a snapshot of our key achievements over the year.

With over one hundred employees and a budget of about 14 million dollars in FY2020, the agency investigated 8,851 deaths and performed 2,725 post-mortem examinations, including 213 homicides. We performed 1,615 toxicological tests, processed 7,620 records and resolved numerous legal matters. These accomplishments were performed during the COVID-19 Pandemic, which proved to be one of the most challenging times for our agency and the nation.

This annual report includes statistical data focusing on the number and type of cases accepted and examined; cause and manner of death; decedent demographics i.e., gender, age, race and residence; and toxicological findings. Moreover, certain agency functions, such as public dispositions, the Breath Alcohol Program and other toxicological services, organ procurement and Data Fusion Center special trend reports, are highlighted.

In addition to carrying out the agency’s mission to perform sound medicolegal investigations and determine cause and manner of death, the agency achieved several key objectives during 2020.

1. The agency attained international accreditation in the discipline of Forensic Sciences, ISO 17020, with zero (0) non-conformities, thanks to the impeccable hard-work, effective communication strategies, and teamwork of the DC OCME staff and the coordination efforts of the Quality Assurance and Control team. In addition, we achieved reaccreditation with the National Association of Medical