Obituaries

Dr. Joshua Perper, Former Allegheny County Coroner, Dies At 89

Dr. Joshua Perper served as county coroner for 14 years.

In this 2007 file photo, Dr. Joshua Perper addresses the media following the death of modeal and actress Anna Nicole Smith.
In this 2007 file photo, Dr. Joshua Perper addresses the media following the death of modeal and actress Anna Nicole Smith. (Photo by Larry Marano/Getty Images)

BOCA RATON, FL — Dr. Joshua Perper, who spent more than a decade as Allegheny County coroner and gained national attention as the medical examiner in Broward County, Florida, died this week. He was 89.

Dr. Perper was appointed Allegheny County's acting coroner in 1980 when the coroner at the time, Dr. Cyril Wecht, was elected county commissioner. He was elected to the position in 1981 and re-elected in 1985, 1989 and 1993.

Dr. Perper left Pittsburgh in 1994 to become the Broward County medical examiner, a position he held for 17 years. In 2007, he made numerous appearances on national TV after conducting the autopsy of model and actress Anna Nicole Smith, who died in a Hollywood, FL hotel room of an accidental drug overdose.

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Dr. Perper retired in 2001.

His funeral occurred this week.

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See Dr. Perper's full obituary here.

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