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Johnson County Coroner's Office

 

617 N. Maguire Street

 

Warrensburg, MO  64093

 

Phone: (660) 238-4832

 

 

 

 

 

The Office of the Coroner is established by the Constitution of the State of Missouri.  The Coroner is elected to serve by the citizens of Johnson County for a term of 4 years.

 

The Coroner's Office recognizes the tragedy surrounding an untimely death and performs investigations, in part, to assist the grieving family who are often seeking answers as to cause and manner of death.  A complete forensic investigation provides for the expeditious settling of insurance claims and estates, as well the implementation of civil and criminal actions.  Questions which seem irrelevant in the initial hours after death can become significant in the following months.  The surviving family and general public can have the peace of mind that a complete investigation was done.

 

The Coroner works in cooperation with the law enforcement community, but conducts a separate and unbiased investigation.

 

Although criminal death investigations constitute a small portion of deaths investigated by the Coroner, these deaths are studied in great detail because of the issues and legal consequences involved.  In this way, the criminal justice system is offered the best support.  The public health dimension of the Coroner's function is designed to isolate and identify causes of sudden unexpected death.

 

 

The Coroner's Office is called when a person dies in any county in which a coroner is required by state law and there are reasonable grounds to believe that such person died as a result of:

 

• Violence by homicide, suicide, or accident

 

• Unforeseen sudden occurrence and the deceased had not been attended by a physician during the thirty-six hour period preceding the death

 

• Any unusual or suspicious manner

 

• Any injury or illness while in the custody of law enforcement or while an inmate in a public institution

 

 

Other duties of the office include, but are not limited to:

 

• Referral of a child’s death (under the age of eighteen) to a child fatality review panel

 

• Convening a Coroner's Inquest to have a jury determine the cause of death of a person when, in the opinion of the Coroner, it would be in the public interest to do so

 

• Performing the duties of Sheriff when that office is vacant

 

• Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 58 contains a complete description of the duties of the County Coroner.