In Re: Franklin County Coroner’s Office — Death Investigation of [Redacted]

Case Number: No. 98-OC-2026

Court: Court of Common Pleas of the 39th Judicial District of Pennsylvania

Client: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Background: As part of the Philadelphia Inquirer’s coverage of a measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, reporter Aubrey Whelan submitted a public records request to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office on Oct. 12, 2026, seeking information about all deaths in the county in which “measles” was listed on the death certificate, dating back to January 2026.

The same day, the Coroner’s Office responded by providing basic information about the woman who died. A similar message was posted on the Coroner’s Office website, noting that the deceased was a “39-year-old female” who “had several underlying conditions, including a past diagnosis of measles with treatment.” 

The Coroner’s Office later partially denied Whelan’s request, withholding the deceased woman’s name, address, and date of birth. The response cited a judge’s order in support of its decision to shield the identifying information from the public. In the order, the judge wrote that the release of the woman’s identity “would cause a clearly defined and serious injury to the privacy of the Decedent’s surviving family, including interference with their religious practice as members of the Amish community.”  

On behalf of the Inquirer, Reporters Committee’s Pennsylvania-based attorney Paula Knudsen Burke filed this motion to vacate the judge’s sealing order, arguing that identifying information is not exempt from disclosure under the state’s Right-to-Know Law. The motion asks the court to issue a new order directing the Coroner’s Office to disclose the woman’s name. 

Quote: “This kind of information is critically important not just for journalists, but for researchers, doctors, and the public to understand whether there is a critical public safety issue,” Burke told the Inquirer. “We have to understand, as a society, how people die.”

Filings:

2026-10-26: Petition to intervene and vacate order

2026-10-27: Order