What are the duties of a coroner, and why do you want the job?
The elected coroner of each county in this state is mandated with the duty of determining the cause and manner of death for any individual who passes away unattended by a physician unless said individual is under the care of a hospice agency.
I am running for re-election because I feel it is my way of giving back to the community that has been a huge part of my life.
What additional services can a coroner provide for families?
The loss of a loved one can be a tremendous shock to a family and as the county “expert” on death, the coroner can offer guidance to help a family cope with that loss.
We should offer resources for grieving families like where to find counseling or in cases where there may be financial help because of the manner of death via the state.
Jones County has two deputy coroners to help with the round-the-clock coverage required for the office. Do you think two is enough, too many?
As our county grows, the occurrences of death will grow as well. I see in the future adding additional manpower will be a bridge we will have to cross and budget for. However, thankfully we are in a dip in the death rate at this time, so my deputies and I can keep up with the current demands of our county without costing the taxpayer more money in training and salaries.
What qualities, education and/ or experience makes you the best candidate for the position?
I feel that my outgoing personality and my attention to detail make me perfect for the job of coroner. I also have fulfilled the job of coroner in some capacity for the past 24 years. In that time, I have amassed much knowledge about death processes while investigating accidents, natural deaths, and unfortunately suicides as well as homicides. Each year we are required to complete mandated training. Over the years I have taken and passed many specialized classes, including blood pattern analysis, wound identification, gunshot pattern analysis, crime scene photography, and interview techniques to name a few. The county has invested a lot of time and money in making sure I am trained to the best of my ability.
Coroner’s inquests have been rare in Jones County.
What is a coroner’s inquest and when is it needed?
A coroner’s inquest is sort of like a trial. A jury is impaneled, and they hear the testimony of individuals with knowledge of the case, they hear the facts of the case, are shown scene photographs, etc. The jury’s sole purpose is to determine the cause and manner of death in situations where significant evidence does not exist to properly identify what happened to cause the death of the individual. Inmate deaths are required by law to be heard by a coroner’s inquest. The finding of any inquest can be used as evidence in a real trial; however, no one can be found guilty because of the inquest alone. Its only function is to issue a cause and a manner of death.
How important is the relationship between the coroner and law enforcement and why?
Having a good working relationship with law enforcement is a must. In fact, by law, law enforcement and I must work in conjunction with each other. Law enforcement oversees the scene, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, that could lead to a possible arrest and or conviction if foul play is suspected. I oversee the body and any evidence it contains that can determine the cause and manner of death. It’s a symbiotic relationship, each having its functions.
The county does not have its own refrigerated storage unit to keep bodies when needed to hold for transport. Do you think Jones County needs a cooler?
County-maintained refrigeration would be nice but at our current caseload, I do not feel it would be a wise expense of county funds. A new cooler would cost upwards of $15,000.00, plus installation. There would be expenses associated with the location, maintenance, and insurance.
Also, to justify having the cooler we would have to have the ability to transport deceased individuals, which includes a vehicle, stretcher insurance, and fuel costs. Finally, the county would be assuming liability while in the deceased is on county property. Currently, we have the funeral home the family will use for services to make the removal, store the decedent, and transport for autopsy. If we are not able to ascertain family or there are special circumstances, we have a third-party removal service perform that function, to not give the appearance that any funeral home gets preferential treatment by my office. This is done at reasonable county expense while the decedent is in county custody until we have all the information, we need to close the case and the deceased is released to the care of the funeral home of the family’s choosing.
Can you explain when an autopsy is required following a death and who performs it?
An autopsy is mandated in certain situations like, when a person dies and foul play is suspected, the death of an individual in police custody, or unexplained deaths of children under the age of 7. When death occurs, the coroner of the county investigates and reports the finding to a GBI medical examiner’s investigator.
That Investigator will confer with the medical examiner and either an autopsy will be scheduled to be performed or the medical examiner will issue a likely cause and manner of death based on the information provided. The coroner of the county can only request an autopsy, it is the sole discretion of the medical examiner as to if it is warranted on a caseby-case basis.
What would you like voters to know about you before casting their ballot?
I would like the voters to know that I am a local.
I was raised in Jones County; I was educated here, and this is where my wife and I decided to raise our children. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank those community members who have reached out via texts, calls, social media, or stopped me in public.
It has been overwhelming and just reiterates that my family picked the right county to call home.
