GREENE: New coroner opts out on autopsies

By Editor | December 18, 2024 |

By Carmen Ensinger

Greene County’s new coroner plans on saving the taxpayers money by discontinuing autopsies and opting for a simple x-ray and toxicology screening from Boyd Hospital to determine a cause of death when a death occurs.
Brady Milnes, who defeated Danny Powell in the November election, spoke to the Judiciary Committee of the Greene County Board last week informing them that he had former Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe draw up a contract between the county and Boyd Hospital.
“This is going to save us over $1,000,” Milnes said. “This is setting up post mortem x-ray services with the hospital at a flat rate of $150 per incidence, which is really a good rate because other hospitals, like Jersey and Illini charge them per x-ray at the Medicaid rate which is close to $300, so this is $150 for as many x-rays as we want so this is actually a very good deal.”
Boyd will also perform a toxicology screen for $200.
“So, if someone dies from something traumatic, like a car accident or something like that, I am able to draw toxicology and have x-rays done and potentially that is going to give me a cause of death without doing an autopsy,” Milnes said. “Autopsies are closer to $1,800 to $2,000 so we could spend $350 and have a cause of death versus $2,000.”
There is also a provision in the contract whereby the ambulance service will provide transportation of the body if necessary.
“We have several deputies throughout the county and, depending where the body is located, there is no point in them having to drive up to Roodhouse to get the suburban, if say, the body is located in Eldred and then drive all the way back to Eldred to pick it up,” Milnes said. “The hospital has offered their ambulance for free to transport only from the scene to my body cooler. That is all they will do, but they offered that at no cost. So, I thought that was a really good deal too.”
Milnes said that is only if the ambulance is on the scene already.
“I told Stace (Holland, Boyd Hospital CEO) there is no event in which I will call them to a scene if they are not already there,” he said. “So, if that is the case we can then go and get the suburban, but if we need the service they are there.”
Milnes also requested an office in the courthouse.
“I have an office at home, but really my main goal is to just find a space where if I had someone call me and want to talk about an autopsy report I could sit down and talk with them,” he said. “I know Earlene (Castleberry) had talked about if there is nothing going on in the board room I could meet with them in here.”
However, Milnes wanted a more permanent space, but there was none. It was decided he could possibly meet with the families in either the board room or the law office upstairs if they were not in use.
Another issue which needed addressed was finding a new location to house the body cooler. It had been located in the garage at Airsman-Hires Funeral Home in Carrollton where Powell is a Funeral Director. Understandably, once he was no longer coroner, Airsman-Hires asked the county to remove the body cooler.
“Our cooler was another topic that was initially going to go in the contract with the hospital,” Milnes said. “But I talked to several different board members and I think we decided we are going to go with Daws Funeral Home in Roodhouse.”
Milnes said Justin Daws has graciously offered to move the cooler for the county at no cost and to let them use the garage at the funeral home in Roodhouse.
“He said they will draw up a contract for the use of utilities,” he said. “I will also have the ability to park the suburban in there too if I want to keep it in a locked garage.”
Milnes also said the cost of the utilities they will have to pay to Daws Funeral Home will be kept to a minimum because the cooler will only have to be turned on when there is a body in it.
Another contract that he needs to get drawn up with Daws Funeral Home is one for the creamation of indigent persons.
“I am required by the State to have an indigent cremation contract,” he said. “So, they offered a rate of $300, which is the cheapest rate around. We probably won’t use it very often, if at all, but we are required to have one.”
Milnes also mentioned the need to purchase new badges for the deputy coroners. Apparently, the current badges have names on them and he wants the new badges to not be personalized.
“If there is no name on the badges, we could still use them moving forward,” Milnes said. “There are currently at least four badges. I talked to Dan Bishop and he has one, Ryan McMillen, Wayne Cunningham, Rick Hires and then Andy Moss. – they all have one.”
Rick Hires retired and Milnes didn’t say if the other four were going to continue in their roles as deputy coroners. However, if they were, there would potentially be no need to purchase new badges.