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The one sure thing

It’s often said that the only sure thing in life is death and taxes. But even death isn’t always so sure.

That was proven in a tragic and sensational way in 2006, when the Grant County coroner, who previously worked in law enforcement, incorrectly identified a body in a horrific traffic accident. A semi-tractor trailer struck a van carrying Taylor University students and employees, and five people were killed.

One of the five victims, however, was misidentified. Her parents – thinking she had survived the accident – spent weeks at the hospital bedside of a young woman as she slowly emerged from a coma. Meanwhile, the parents of the injured young woman – thinking their daughter had died at the scene – mourned for their daughter and buried the wrong body.

The incident devastated two families, brought unwanted, nationwide attention to Indiana and humiliated the apologetic county coroner so much that he resigned. But that’s what happens when we ask people to do jobs for which they’re not really qualified. And that’s the story of coroners in Indiana.

The state constitution requires a coroner – like other constitutionally elected officers – to be a resident of the county for a year and a registered voter. That’s it.  That’s why we’ve had police officers and funeral directors and registered nurses and a veterinarian and a dentist and some medical doctors and assorted people from other walks of life run for coroner. 

The constitution does not allow the legislature to bar a person without additional qualifications from being coroner. So in 2007, after the Grant County tragedy, the legislature did as much as it could to improve coroners’ credentials. It required all elected coroners, within six months of taking office, to take 40 hours of basic training that results in certification and to supplement that with 16 hours of annual continuing education.

Even that didn’t quite do the trick. Dr. Kenneth Ackles, a chiropractor serving as Marion County coroner, failed to become certified, causing the City-County Council to withhold his pay. He did not run for re-election in 2008.

We wouldn’t have that situation occur, and we’d be less likely to see a repeat of the Grant County tragedy, if the elected coroner’s office were abolished in favor of a professional administrator who answers to the county executive and a regional medical examiner’s office to handle autopsies and other forensic investigations.
 
If you think that Indiana should have professional death investigations conducted by trained individuals, tell your legislators. Join us, and we’ll help you do that.