Submitted by Arapahoe County
There is one elected office in Arapahoe County that many residents may not think about often — and in many ways, that is a good thing.
But when the Coroner’s Office is needed, its role is essential.
The work requires medical expertise, scientific independence and deep humanity. It means bringing facts to the most difficult circumstances, supporting families and public safety partners, and speaking for those who can no longer speak for themselves.
For more than two decades, Dr. Kelly Lear, who is retiring from the County on July 1, has carried out that responsibility for Arapahoe County with professionalism, compassion and extraordinary steadiness.
A Career Built on Expertise and Integrity
Dr. Lear earned her undergraduate degree in Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Cornell College before receiving her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Medicine. She completed an Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency and Surgical Pathology Fellowship at the University of Colorado Hospital, followed by a Forensic Pathology Fellowship at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, building a foundation of clinical depth that would define her public service career.
She joined the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office in 2004 as a forensic pathologist and Deputy Coroner, was elected Coroner in 2014, and has led the office ever since. The office is accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners. Board-certified in anatomic, clinical and forensic pathology, Dr. Lear has brought exceptional scientific rigor and professional integrity to one of the County’s most sensitive public service roles.
Over the course of her career, she has performed thousands of medicolegal examinations, provided expert testimony in criminal proceedings, published peer-reviewed work in forensic and medical journals, and shared her expertise with colleagues locally and nationally.
Steady Through the Most Difficult Moments
Dr. Lear’s work has placed her at the center of some of Arapahoe County’s most complex and closely watched death investigations. In those moments, when public attention can be intense and emotions are high, she has remained focused on the responsibility at the heart of the Coroner’s Office: to determine the facts, protect the integrity of the investigation and treat every death with dignity, seriousness and care.
She has never allowed the noise around a case to overshadow the person at the center of it. Her work has brought clarity to families, supported the pursuit of justice and helped ensure that those who can no longer speak for themselves still have a voice.
Even years later, certain cases remain with her. “There are cases that speak to me as a person,” Dr. Lear reflected. “The first autopsy I did when I got back from maternity leave was an infant the same age as my infant daughter. That obviously stuck out.” It is that kind of human connection — carrying the weight of each case even as the work demands steady clinical judgment — that has defined her approach.
Dr. Lear’s leadership has also guided Arapahoe County through some of the most difficult public health challenges of recent years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the rise in fentanyl-related deaths and other preventable tragedies. At a time when coroner and medical examiner offices across the country faced increasing demands, she remained a steady, trusted voice for facts, science and accountability.
A Special Commitment to Children and Prevention
Dr. Lear’s legacy is not only measured in cases, reports or courtroom testimony. It is also reflected in her commitment to prevention.
With a special interest in pediatric deaths, she has served for nearly two decades on Colorado’s State Child Fatality Prevention Review Team and has been a member of the Arapahoe County Child Fatality Review Team since its formation. She also serves on the Arapahoe County Not One More Child Community Coalition. That work is quiet, confidential and emotionally difficult, but deeply important. It reflects the heart of her public service: learning from tragedy, protecting children and helping communities prevent future loss.
Her prevention work extends further, contributing to the Governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee, the Tri-County Overdose Prevention Partnership and broader community education efforts related to prescription drug abuse and suicide prevention.
That commitment does not end with her tenure. Dr. Lear will continue serving on the Colorado State Child Fatality Prevention Review Team and on national and international case review committees: work she describes as a significant area for ongoing research and education. “Children are not just small adults,” she noted, reflecting on the complexity of pediatric death investigations. “There’s a lot of room for education — in the medical community, in the coroner and law enforcement arenas, and with the general public.”
A National Leader in Her Field
Alongside her local work, Dr. Lear has built a distinguished national profile. She has served on the American Board of Pathology Test Development and Advisory Committee, the Academic Forensic Pathology Journal Editorial Board, the Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood Scientific Advisory Board and SUDC Registry and Research Collaborative, the College of American Pathologists Forensic Pathology Resource Committee, and numerous committees with the National Association of Medical Examiners.
She is a Fellow of both the National Association of Medical Examiners and the College of American Pathologists, and a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. She has received the National Association of Medical Examiners Outstanding Service Award and the University of Colorado Department of Pathology Summit Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Her academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine reflect a sustained commitment to training the next generation of forensic pathologists.
Thank You, Dr. Lear
For the residents of Arapahoe County, Dr. Lear has been more than a medical expert. She has been a public servant who approached difficult work with professionalism, humanity and care — representing this community with expertise and distinction for more than 20 years.
As she looks ahead to retirement and more time with her wife and children, Arapahoe County offers its sincere gratitude for her years of service, her steady leadership and her lasting contributions to our community.
As she reflects on more than two decades of service, Dr. Lear’s thoughts return not to the cases or the credentials, but to the people she worked alongside. “The office has fostered good people; people who care about the work they do and care about the families we serve,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to be there in the first place, and what I hope continues after I’m gone.”