He died in a sweltering house. Why doesn't his death record show it?

When Arizona counts heat-related deaths, Adam Willson isn't included. His story shows how thousands of heat deaths can go uncounted every year in the United States.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4525x3017+0+0/resize/4525x3017!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9f%2Faf%2F977ff4f645f7985352b4db9cee2b%2F359a9872-edit.jpg' alt='Debbie Willson holds a photo of her son, Adam Willson, who died in June 2024. Debbie is sure his death was influenced by heat, but his death certificate doesn't mention it. Such omissions are common nationwide and result in an undercount of the impact of heat, an investigation from NPR and Boston University finds.'/><p>When Arizona counts heat-related deaths, Adam Willson isn't included. His story shows how thousands of heat deaths can go uncounted every year in the United States.</p><p>(Image credit: Ryan Kellman)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5887544' />