Clifton elected to coroners board

At a statewide conference held March 18 to 20 in Jefferson City, Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton was elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Missouri Coroners and Medical Examiners Association.

He will serve as treasurer on the board, he said.

The executive board is responsible for investigating complaints against a coroner or medical examiner when they are accused of negligence or misconduct.

"We police our own," Clifton said.

Clifton was also assigned to a committee to review and assist in revising the state laws pertaining to the office of the coroner or medical examiner.

Those laws concern everything coroners deal with in their job, from how a death certificate must be filed, to what to do if a witness won't testify at a coroner's inquest.

About 130 coroners, deputy coroners and medical examiners across the state of Missouri attended the three-day training conference.

The meetings are held twice a year to reinforce training for coroners and medical examiners on a variety of investigative topics.

The featured programs included training in fire death investigations and the study of blood stain patterns, said Clifton.

Instruction on toxicology and the conducting of coroner's inquests were also given.

Elayne Pope, an anthropology professor at the University of Arkansas, gave an extensive presentation on how to determine the difference between accidental fire deaths and homicides.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245

Have a comment?

Log on to semissourian.com/today