Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes prioritizes efficiency, integrity, and sympathy in investigative work 

The Porter County Government is made up of a wide variety of departments that provide different services to its residents. Of those departments, one of the most important is Public Safety. This department focuses on some of the more serious issues that can affect the community including Animal Control, Porter County Jail, Emergency Management, Smart 911, Central Communications, and the Porter County Sheriff’s Office.

However, there is another part of the Public Safety Department that provides professional death investigations with integrity, respect, and compassion for the deceased and their families. This is the responsibility of Porter County Coroner Cyndi Dykes.

Dykes is serving the third year of her second term, and seventh year overall, in the Porter County Coroner’s Office. She understands how important her responsibility is in the local communities to provide people with details in the most efficient way possible.

“My main role is to work together with my deputies to determine the cause and manner of death in any unnatural circumstances,” Dykes said. “We also have the responsibility of identifying the decedent.”

Identification of the deceased is orchestrated by using one of five methods. This includes fingerprint identification, DNA analysis, dental record analysis, positive identification by at least one family member, and state issued photo identification.

The cause of death refers to the final factor or event that ended an individual’s life. The manner of death is a more descriptive grouping that is provided with one of five labels: homicide, suicide, accidental, natural, and undetermined.

When an investigation is needed, uncovering the information or materials that are relevant to each situation is incredibly important. As the Porter County Coroner, Dykes and her deputies often need to go on the scene to obtain all of the necessary information.

“We work very closely with all of the police agencies in the county,” Dykes said. “They are on the scene first, so we get that information from them and determine if we need to go on the scene or not. We usually do, unless we get enough medical history from family, friends, or neighbors. I’ve gained a lot of respect for the police agencies in the county, and we work really well together.”

While some situations can draw similarities between the cause or manner of death, two investigations that are akin to one another won’t always take the same amount of time. According to Dykes, there are multiple factors that can influence how long the investigation takes before all the answers are found.

“It can depend on the circumstances of the situation because every investigation is different,” Dykes said. “We had one victim who was recovered in May, and we’re getting close to identifying him. It takes a lot of effort. Sometimes, we even have to work with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), or the Indiana State Police (ISP) labs. We also work with the Department of Child Services (DCS) when there is an unfortunate child death, Porter Starke Services when a decedent was a patient, as well as hospitals, and doctors. We might even have to do DNA samples.”

Along with the police agencies, the Porter County Coroner gets to work collaboratively with other departments in the Porter County Government.

“We work closely with the Health Department because sometimes I have to sign out a death certificate. We also occasionally work with the fire departments, and we are always grateful for their help when they assist with removals,” Dykes said. “We also work with the Veteran’s Office if the decedent is a veteran. For my yearly budgets, I also work closely with the Porter County Commissioners Office and the County Council. I do have different contracts that need to be approved by the commissioners.”

The concept of death is something that, while inevitable, can be disconcerting. However, Dykes finds the positive in serving as the Porter County Coroner through the feeling of fulfillment when she completes an investigation and can provide families and friends of lost loved ones with the answers they’re looking for.

“We get to see these families in the raw before they can comprehend everything that just happened,” Dykes said. “I think that’s the most important thing because some families are intimidated. Some families fight us, but eventually we gain their trust. It’s our goal to work together to find answers for families and get them through the first steps of grieving. I oversee 13 deputies, and we’re on call just like police officers. Even though I might oversee our deputies, we all have to work together to help these families out.”

For more information on the Porter County Government, you can visit portercountyin.gov.