Perry County Commission appoints coroner interim sheriff

Perry County Coroner William "Bill" Bohnert has been appointed to serve as interim Perry County, Missouri, sheriff.

Jason Klaus

His appointment was effective midnight Saturday.

Bohnert gave Perry County detective Jason Klaus managerial authority over the department.

The appointment comes after Sheriff Gary Schaaf resigned the post at 11:59 p.m. Friday as a result of a settlement resulting from a lawsuit he had against the county for alleged wages he said he was owed. The suit — filed in December 2018 — was set for jury trial at the end of September, prior to the settlement.

County Commissioners Mike Sauer, Keith Hoehn and Jay Wengert met with Perry County Clerk Jared Kutz early last week to discuss how to proceed with handling the chief law enforcement post in the county.

"To ensure there are no lapses in leadership, we want to have an individual lined up to take over immediately following Gary's retirement," Sauer said in a news release earlier last week. "As a commission, we have decided the best course of action for the department is to select a person who currently serves in the sheriff's department in order to maintain a smooth- running operation until a more permanent appointment can be made."

Missouri statutes call for the county coroner to serve in the post until a decision is made. Bohnert said he would be willing to fill the interim post but the commissioners felt it was best to elevate from within the sheriff's office, according to a news release.

Schaaf said in a statement Sept. 20 regarding his retirement that he would submit a list of names to the commissioners for consideration for his replacement.

Schaaf's term officially ends Dec. 31, 2024, and commissioners will be seeking a person to serve in the role until that date. Missouri law requires the Perry commissioners to fill the post within 14 days of it being vacated.

The commissioners announced they will be accepting letters of interest and resumes until Oct. 10 for the permanent appointment. Applicant submissions must be made in-person at the Perry County Clerk's Office and all applicants must be available for in-person interview Oct. 13. A social media post indicated commissioners expect to name an interim sheriff to fill the remainder of Schaaf's term Oct. 14.

According to a county news release, to serve as sheriff an individual must:

• Have a peace office license at the time of filing for office
• Have no prior felony convictions
• Be a registered voter and taxpayer for the county
• Reside in the county for more the one year prior to filing for the office
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Not be delinquent in any payment for taxes on the place of residency declared for candidacy
• Not be a past or present corporate officer of any fee offices that owes any taxes to the state.

Rick Fahr contributed to this story.