Coroner vs. Medical Examiner

Coroner or Medical Examiner, do you know which “death professional” your city has?

It’s a big thing, when you’re writing crime fiction, to make sure that you have the facts straight: does your story setting have a Coroner or a Medical Examiner? Because they do different things, these guys.

It’s also important to know when you’re writing historical crime fiction. So for my 1919 WIP, I went to the April 12, 1919 San Francisco Examiner for the straight scoop.

And here you are: In 1919, the City of San Francisco had a Coroner (Dr. T. B. W. Leland), and when Dr. Leland joined the U.S. Navy during WWI, Dr. John Gallagher took over the job.

You’re welcome.

But more importantly, now I will know where I “archived” this specific piece of information.


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