The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has approved an application submitted by Anderson County on behalf of the Office of the Anderson County Coroner for an award under the Bureau of Justice Assistance Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System program. The approved award amount is $101,460, which will be used to seek accreditation from the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME).
“Put simply, death has unavoidable impacts on the living, so it is critical that the community has full confidence that the Office of the Coroner follows established professional standards in an equitable, consistent way” said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. “By obtaining and maintaining accreditation from the IACME, we can offer a methodology which assures all interested parties that investigations are conducted without regard to a decedent’s station in life or personal circumstance.”
Recent increases in the work rate of the Coroner’s Office have far outpaced the community’s rate of population growth, and the office has seen a striking increase in the number of accidental death determinations. These conditions further emphasize the need for the most accurate and defensible standards that the office can obtain.
“We oftentimes see cases where a death occurs due to circumstances that indicate potential negligence or responsibility by others” said Deputy Coroner Don McCown. “For families seeking criminal or civil redress in these matters, it is imperative that the coroner’s actions and findings are able withstand legal scrutiny and challenge. Having IACME accreditation will go a long way towards helping us serve the public in these matters.”
ANDERSON COUNTY OFFICE OF THE CORONER—FAST FACTS
The number of accidental death investigations (not counting automobile fatalities) has increased by 170% in the last five years. The office conducted 54 such investigations in 2018—by 2022 that number increased to 146.
The number of accidental death investigations in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively were 112, 111, and 127.
In 2018, accidental death investigations accounted for 2.7% of 1,973 total death investigations. By 2022, they accounted for a full six percent of total investigations.
The caseload at the Coroner’s Office far exceeds Anderson County’s rate of population growth. The County’s population grew by just under five percent from 2018 thru 2022; however, the annual number for total death investigations increased by almost 25 percent.
The total number of death investigations conducted by the Coroner’s Office is on pace to exceed 2,500 in the 2023 calendar year.
County Coroner Greg Shore manages a staff of eleven persons, which includes a Chief Deputy Coroner, one Medical Examiner (FT), one Medical Examiner (PT) one Forensic Autopsy Specialist, four Deputy Coroners, an Evidence Technician, a Morgue Attendant, and an Administrative Assistant.
