Missouri AG files to remove Cape Girardeau County coroner from office

The Missouri attorney general filed a petition Thursday, Feb. 8, to kickstart the process of removing from office Cape Girardeau County Coroner Wavis Jordan.

Called a petition for Writ of Quo Warranto, the petition states that Jordan engaged in misconduct.

The AG’s office alleges that Jordan failed to perform his duty when he:

• stole property and attempted to steal property he was obligated to safeguard;
• knowingly entered the wrong cause of death for three people;
• failed to properly investigate the causes and manners of death of several individuals;
• failed to take the necessary steps to be prepared to investigate causes and manners of death;
• failed to obtain blood from two individuals who died in separate motor vehicle accidents;
• solicited family members regarding funeral arrangements of a deceased person.

When reached by phone and asked for his reaction to the filing, Jordan said, "No comment. I really think this is ... I don’t know if this is a racial issue or what, but no comment."

On his personal Facebook page, Jordan wrote, "I am going to clear false information that I got arrested. That’s not true. I am still coroner. I was told I didn’t have to resign. The Missouri Attorney Office has not reach (sic) out to me."

In a release sent Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Andrew Bailey noted that Jordan will not be able to act as coroner while the case is pending.

“The judge has granted our preliminary order for quo warranto against Cape Girardeau Coroner Wavis Jordan. During the pendency of our case, Jordan will not be able to exercise any authority as the Coroner. We are moving forward undeterred in our quest to obtain justice for the victims in this case.”

State statute dictates the county sheriff fill in as coroner in such a situation.

A release from Cape Girardeau County commissioners sent Friday, Feb. 9, says Sheriff Ruth Ann Dickerson has taken on administrative duties of the coroner.

In addition to the Quo Warranto filing, the attorney general’s office also released a felony complaint against Jordan and a probable-cause statement.

"As Attorney General, I will always work to hold accountable those who refuse to do their job as required by Missouri statute," Bailey said in a news release. "My heart goes out to the victims in this case, whose lives have been upended. To that end, I am moving for the immediate removal of the Cape Girardeau Coroner."

The petition states Jordan failed to provide "truthful and accurate information to the Department of Health and Senior Services for certificates of death" and failed to fully investigate "causes and manners of death when there is reasonable grounds to believe a person died as a result of violence by homicide, suicide, or accident, or in an unusual or suspicious manner" and neglecting to collect blood "for testing from those who have died in motor vehicle accidents."

The petition states Jordan "has failed in all these duties."

Jordan’s "willful neglect and failure to faithfully discharge the duties of his office present a tremendous danger to both the public and to the judicial system," the petition stated. The petition was filed by Gregory Michael Goodwin on behalf of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, according to Missouri’s online court record system.

The AG’s office has requested a preliminary order to require Jordan to answer the questions set forth in the petition within 10 days.

Presiding Judge Ben Lewis, citing a conflict of interest, has requested that the Missouri Office of State Courts Administrator assign a different judge to the case.

Quo Warranto is latin for "by what authority" and in legal terms is asking by what authority the officer should continue to hold office. According to Missouri statutes, any elected or appointed official in Missouri may be subject to removal by impeachment if found guilty of "failing personally to devote his time to the performance of the duties of such office, or of any willful, corrupt or fraudulent violation or neglect of official duty, or of knowingly or willfully failing or refusing to do or perform any official act or duty which by law it is made his duty to do or perform with respect to the execution or enforcement of the criminal laws of the state."

In June 2023, the Cape Girardeau County prosecutor’s office issued a news release announcing that Prosecuting Attorney Mark Welker had asked the Missouri Attorney General’s Office to appoint a special prosecutor, citing a conflict of interest in prosecuting another officeholder and a person who regularly works with the prosecutor’s office. The announcement was made in reference to Jordan’s alleged theft of property in April at the scene of an unattended death in Cape Girardeau.

An investigation into the incident cleared Cape Girardeau police officers, based on body camera footage and witness statements.

Jordan was elected in November 2020, defeating two other candidates in an August 2020 primary. He was the first Black person to be elected to a countywide office as a Republican. He previously held leadership roles in the SEMO Pachyderms club and as a pastor at Hobbs Chapel church. Prior to his election, Jordan worked at a Rhodes convenience store in Jackson. He has also worked in various capacities for area funeral homes. He earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2002 from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis.