It is sad when someone dies. With few exceptions, they leave a family and circle of friends devastated by their passing and absence. It is bad when the death is by natural causes, but accidents and suicides seem to make everything worse for all.
I wrote before that we have had six suicides so far in Cedar County this year. On my assumption of the office of the Coroner, I established a policy that we would conduct toxicology testing on all suicides. I also request toxicology testing on other deaths where I judge there is a reasonable chance that drugs or other chemicals could have influenced either the death or the mental reasoning and decisions preceding the death. Toxicology tests of the vehicle operator are required by the State of Missouri in all highway fatalities and in some water deaths. We generally also test drowning victims as well to determine if there was anything influencing the decision to swim or inhibiting the individual’s ability to survive in the water.
Why am I going into all these details on toxicology testing? Because there seems to be a never-ending stream of questions as to whether there are ‘cover-ups’ going on in relation to deaths and other events. Having been born and raised here, I know there is an inherent distrust of government, whether federal, state, county or local. I cannot say that I always disagree with that distrust. Having worked in and retired from the federal government, I know that at any level we have people doing those jobs and people are people. In other words, there are good people and bad people, competent and incompetent, honest and dishonest. Sometimes folks get put into a position of power and having authority and being able to use it just goes to their head.
Most of the time, I just brush off the paranoia with a joke, telling the folks I call ‘the black helicopter’ gang that we do not have black helicopters. They are just painted a very dark shade of green. And most of the time, all the paranoia and gossip does not really do any harm, other than obfuscating the truth and being the easiest, most convenient answer so people do not have to do any more reading or actual research to find the truth.
Where the rumors and gossip do cause harm is when it concerns people who have died in the community. When someone says they do not believe a certain death was fully investigated, it makes everyone else wonder if their family member’s death was fully investigated. Sometimes these people will even mention some unsubstantiated rumor to the family of the decedent. They do not realize they are almost ‘killing’ the victim all over again for the survivors. The survivors are left wondering and their pain, hurt and scars are all opened up all over again. They lie awake at night wondering. Wondering if this, wondering if that…all because someone did not think about what they were saying and how much hurt and pain it might cause.
The part that really gets to me is that I have made sure the Coroner’s Office is as open as we can possibly be. I have given out our phone number (417) 955-4378. I have given out our email address, coroner@cedarcountymo.gov, and I have offered in public multiple times to answer any questions anybody has to the best of our ability if it is within the law and guidance on dealing with deaths. We cannot discuss any open investigations, and we do not discuss investigations where I know there is still an active law enforcement investigation open.
And here is where the naysayers and thoughtless people are able to hurt others. Knowing that it takes me weeks to get autopsy and toxicology results back, people go spouting off suppositions that someone died of a drug overdose or were killed by another. They can do this for almost two months or more sometimes because I do not have laboratory results back yet and won’t discuss open investigations.
All these rumors and gossip do is hurt people…good people who are just trying to get through the death of a loved one.
If you or anyone has a question about a death in this county, call, write or come to us and ask us so you get the correct answer. I will always try to ensure the next of kin knows first, but with the turmoil in families, sometimes the next of kin will hold out information from others. Sad to say but I have had several instances where a mother was shut out of notifications and other things because there was an internal family issue. That is a tough row to hoe that funeral directors must do often.
Finally, you will notice that I wrote about rumors and gossip, but my title also includes ‘lies’. That is because sometimes the rumors and gossip are so mean and hateful and unthoughtful about the damage they are doing to people’s lives, I really wonder if they are not just lies, made up to make someone feel important with the attention the lies get them and unconcerned with the pain they cause someone else.
So once again and for the second time in this paper; if you have a question, a problem, an issue or are just curious about something concerning deaths or the Coroner’s Office, call (417) 955-4378, write an email to coroner@cedarcountymo.gov, write a letter to Coroner, 113 South Street, Stockton, MO 65785, or just come to me or my deputies (Joe Trussell and James Hargett) and ask us. I prefer you come to me, but I give my deputies full authority and leeway to make sure if there is a question, they know they have my full support in them using their individual judgement to make a decision.
Next time, think before you speak and ask.
Danny Leo Green,
Coroner, Cedar County
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