Butte-Silver Bow coroner steps down, citing 'mental and physical well-being'

BUTTE, Mont. – Jason Parish, the Butte-Silver Bow County coroner, is stepping down from his position.

Parish confirmed his resignation to the public in a Facebook post on Friday, citing his mental and physical well-being for the decision.

“As many of you are seeing in the news, yes, I resigned as Coroner yesterday. It was a decision not taken lightly. I resigned strictly for my own mental and physical well-being.

Thank you to everyone reaching out, asking if I am okay. I am,” he wrote.

He said he was proud of his eight years of service to Butte-Silver Bow and that it was “simply time for a change.”

“I wish the current coroner staff the very best. It is a difficult position that is not well-compensated or respected,” he concluded.

In a comment, Parish told a user he”underestimated the mental and physical toll and decided it was best to take care of myself early rather than too late.”

According to LinkedIn, Parish served as coroner for seven months, starting after he was elected to the role in Nov. 2025. Before that, he served as the City-County of Butte-Silver Bow Public Information Officer for seven years and eight months.

Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive JP Gallagher said Parsih submitted his resignation on Thursday.

“We respect Mr. Parish’s decision and appreciate his service to the community. At this time, we are not providing additional details regarding the resignation. Our focus now is working with the Council of Commissioners on ensuring a smooth transition in the Coroner’s office and continuing to serve the public effectively,” he wrote.

The coroner’s job is to investigate deaths involving foul play within the City and County of Butte-Silver Bow.