Stoddard County officials look at building morgue

BLOOMFIELD -- Stoddard County officials are working toward a county morgue with former Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis no longer donating space at his funeral home since leaving office.

According to Presiding Commissioner Danny Talkington, the county is looking at constructing a stand-alone building as a morgue near the jail expansion project on land owned by the county.

"We will probably start the morgue before the jail project," he said. "We want to get the budgets out of the way, and then sit down with the coroner on the needs."

The county is expected to go out for jail construction bids in September.

Talkington added a generator is located nearby and could be used for the morgue as well as 24-hour surveillance cameras from the jail.

Mathis, who owns Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home, told the commission in October he held several bodies for the county in his morgue and was required by law to hold unclaimed bodies for 10 days in efforts to locate the next of kin.

Once leaving office Dec. 31, he stated he would no longer be providing that service by assuming responsibility and liability.

Mathis also added he endured a majority of costs while serving as presiding commissioner by maintaining vehicles, insurance, autopsy and toxicology reports and equipment.

Commissioners Carol Jarrell and Steve Jordan both agreed a morgue would need to be established.

Dale Rogers of Robert Stearns and Associates, Inc., told the commission adding a morgue during the voter-approved jail expansion project would be a "good opportunity" when first proposed in October.

Current Stoddard County Coroner Kenny Pope is a funeral director and embalmer with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home.

In the event Stoddard County elected a coroner who was not tied with a funeral home, commissioners have said a county morgue needed to be established.

Pope reported to commissioners Monday morning he spoke with Stoddard County 911 administrator Carol Moreland about temporarily locating his office in the 911 building rather than Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home.

"I talked with Carol and it shouldn't be a problem," Pope said.