The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has released preliminary statistics for cases handled in 2025. Homicides and opioid overdose deaths declined substantially over 2024.
While the office’s caseload continued to surpass pre-COVID levels, with 6,901 cases falling under its jurisdiction last year, caseloads continued to drop from the pandemic-era peak of 16,041 in 2020. Before the pandemic, the office saw approximately 6,200 deaths in an average year.
Opioid overdose deaths in Cook County continued a…
