WASHINGTON, Pa. — The widow of a Washington County Army veteran says she is still waiting for his death certificate and the delay is leaving her and their young daughters without the help and resources they desperately need.
38-year-old Michael Bellesfield, a highly decorated Army combat veteran, died by suicide on July 20.
Three months later, his wife, Kayla Bellesfield, says she is still waiting for an official death certificate, and the delay is making it impossible for her to claim life insurance, access accounts, sell his truck, or even retrieve her husband’s phone, which contains passwords and bill information.
“He did 20 years... Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba. 20 years of his life. I think he deserves more than this,” Kayla said.
Michael’s death came just three days after he contacted the VA seeking an emergency counseling session. Kayla says she has been unable to get basic information from the VA without a death certificate, and the State Police are holding Michael’s phone until the certificate is issued.
“Now we’re struggling. I’m a single mom trying to get through,” she said.
Channel 11 reached out to the Washington County Coroner’s Office for answers. Officials told us every suicide in the county requires an autopsy and that cases are handled in chronological order. The office says it relies heavily on a contracted forensic pathologist, one person who handles roughly 90% of the county’s autopsy workload, and that it remains critically understaffed, with three employees managing about 3,000 deaths a year.
Coroner Tim Warco told Channel 11, “I can’t issue a certificate until I get the documents in hand. We need the forensic data — positive proof. I understand the financial needs of families and try to turn them around as quickly as possible.”
11 Investigates learned neighboring Fayette, Westmoreland, and Butler counties do not require autopsies for suicides. Greene County, like Washington County, does.
In Allegheny County, autopsies are conducted at the discretion of the attending pathologist on cases under the medical examiner’s jurisdiction. An autopsy is not performed on every case, and the type of examination depends on the pathologist’s judgment. Officials there say examinations typically occur within 48 hours of receiving the decedent, after which a death certificate is issued.
Those differing policies can mean large variations in timing and in taxpayer cost from county to county.
“Something needs done, or resources need to be available at the coroner’s office,” Kayla said. “If it’s going to take this long, families left behind need help. Because right now, there’s nothing.”
Kayla shared photos of Michael, a quiet, proud father who tearfully said goodbye to his daughters before overseas deployments. She says he may have been struggling with post-traumatic stress, and that the stigma around men’s mental health can keep families from recognizing the signs until it’s too late.
Now, Kayla and her daughters are trying to heal without him, but she wants answers, faster support for grieving families, and systemic fixes so others don’t face the same roadblocks.
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