Prowers County Coroner Responds to Attorney’s Proposal, Criticizes Threat to Disrupt Storage of Bodies

Description: Prowers County Coroner Thomas Dunagan Released the Following Response to the Prowers County Commissioners Office Request that Bodies Not Be Stored in the County Annex Building on March 10, 2025...

Prowers County Coroner Responds to Attorney’s Proposal, Criticizes Threat to Disrupt Storage of Bodies

Dear County Attorney Pugliese:

I have read and considered your letter of March 10, 2025. One point of agreement here is that the County needs to improve the security and capacity of Coroner's office facilities. The current storage location in the Annex preceded my tenure as Coroner, and I have said in the past that additional resources should be dedicated to improvements there.

It is a core responsibility of the Prowers County Board of County Commissioners to supply the Coroner's office a safe and secure location to store deceased bodies, where access is limited to Coroner's office personnel only and controlled.

That said, your prior proposal for funeral homes to store bodies for the Coroner quite clearly does not satisfy what is needed, because access is not limited to Coroner's office personnel. Your most recent threat to remove the cooler in the Annex used by the Coroner's office - with no replacement cooler in any County facility - is irresponsible and will upend the ability for the Coroner's office to function in Prowers County. That dereliction of duty by you and the Board of Commissioners will expose the County to liability, because it is dangerous.

But perhaps more important, is a betrayal of the public trust the voters of Prowers County have placed in their elected officials to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of government, including with respect to custody of their recently-deceased loved ones.

Sincerely,

Thomas Dunagan Prowers County Coroner

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