County Resident Raises Concerns Over Coroner’s Office Staffing

A local resident has voiced concerns over staffing shortages in the Crawford County Coroner’s Office after a recent incident resulted in a nearly two-hour delay in securing a coroner.

Tammy Martin addressed county officials, questioning why it took so long for a coroner to respond when a resident suffered a fatal heart attack while burning debris. At the time of the incident, Coroner Darren Dake was out of town teaching, one of the three days per week he is unavailable. Martin argued that having to wait for a coroner from another county was unacceptable and suggested using a local law enforcement officer as a backup.

“What sense does it make to have the backup coroner working at the 911 office instead of having someone already on duty, like a sheriff’s deputy, handle the role?” Martin asked. “Deputies are first on the scene, and I don’t want to hear that their stomachs might not be ready for it—they already handle difficult situations.”

Dake defended the current system, explaining that there was an officer on the scene and that the delay was not as significant as Martin suggested. The coroner from Gasconade County was called in, arriving only about 15 minutes later than one from Crawford County would have. Additionally, he noted that the fire marshal had not yet completed the investigation, meaning that even if a coroner had arrived sooner, they would not have been able to take possession of the body right away.

“The real issue is staffing,” Dake said. “We don’t have enough personnel, and we don’t have enough money. We do the best we can, but it’s just not feasible to have 24/7 coverage year-round.”

Dake acknowledged that deficits exist but stated that training deputies to act as coroners is not a simple solution. “Once a body is removed from the scene, there’s a significant amount of medical and investigative work required,” he said. “Each case takes, on average, six hours to complete. Deputies don’t have the necessary training for that.”

District 2 Commissioner Jared Boast noted that mutual aid agreements with surrounding counties help cover gaps in service but are not a perfect solution. 

Martin, however, remained unconvinced, pointing out that under previous coroner Paul Hutson, she had never seen such delays.

“This situation didn’t happen under Paul,” she said. “Something went wrong that day, and Darren is talking in circles.”

Dake countered that similar situations had occurred under Hutson’s tenure as well

When asked if there was money in the budget to train additional personnel, he said funds were only available for part-time positions, and finding qualified candidates willing to work for the pay offered was challenging.

Martin suggested providing additional training and compensation to an officer who was already receiving specialized training. “Why not add coroner training for that officer?” she asked. “He’s going to be working anyway—give him extra pay for handling coroner duties as well.”

Presiding Commissioner Steve Black acknowledged the budget limitations, stating that the county is trying to pass a use tax to increase funding for essential services. However, he noted that as an elected official, the coroner controls his own budget, and the commission cannot dictate how he allocates funds.

“I would love to hire another full-time coroner or two,” Dake said, “but right now, that’s just not possible.”