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Our Coroner
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Address:
Dorchester County Coroner's Office
212 Deming Way, Suite 2
Summerville, SC 29483

Office Hours: 
Monday to Friday 08:30am - 5:00pm
Scheduled appointments are appreciated.

Office Phone:
843 563-0351 (St. George residents)
(843) 832-0351 (Summerville residents)

Office Fax:

843- 563-0352 St. George residents
843) 832-0352 (Summerville residents)

Emergency/Off Hours:
(843) 873-5111 (Dispatch)

Office Functions of the Dorchester County Coroner Duties and Authority

The Coroner is a Constitutional Officer mandated by law to serve the
people in its respective county. The Coroner’s office directs and
implements the investigation of deaths occurring within jurisdiction
in accordance with the law of conducting pathological and toxicological
analyses and investigating circumstances of deaths in order to determine
if a case is a natural, homicide, accidental, suicide or unexplained death.
The Coroner, or Deputy Coroner, is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Office of the Coroner investigates all suspicious and violent deaths
as well as any deaths occurring at a hospital, nursing home or under
Hospice care at a personal residence. Additionally, the Coroner must
investigate any death occurring less than 24 hours after a patient is
admitted to a hospital and all hospital emergency room deaths. As
well as properly dispose of all unclaimed bodies and handle the
burial of the same.

The Coroner is to cooperate with various professionals such as
physicians, pathologists, medical personnel, other coroners, law
enforcement personnel, etc. as necessary in determining causes
of death. This includes independent judgment and discretion in
making decisions regarding deaths including, but not limited to,
determining when autopsies are performed, what toxicology to
perform and utilize appropriate tools for the excavation and
exhumation of death victims, as necessary.

When multiple investigating agencies are involved, the coroner
coordinates these investigating agencies. The Coroner is responsible
for seeing that all evidence at death scenes are preserved and those
personal belongings of the deceased are safeguarded and returned
to the families. Death notifications are done in person if possible.
The Coroner notifies relatives and loved ones of the death. At times,
he allows Chaplains or authorized military personnel to notify next-of-kin
concerning a Dorchester County Death. The Chaplain or military
personnel notifies the Coroner when the notification has been completed.
The Coroner controls the releasing of names of the decedents to the
news media in order to protect the next-of-kin’s rights.

The Coroner is responsible for completing various seminars and
meetings in order to complete administrative tasks, such as reviewing
various reports and completing various records and reports, as necessary,
in the accurate documentation of death. These records or reports include,
but are not limited to, death certificates, ensuring that all information is
recorded accurately, case reports, Coroner’s reports, burial and removal
permits, witness’ statements and < inquiries from DEHEC. Also, the
Coroner must keep abreast of all new information, laws and policies
in order to testify at inquests, hearings and court trials as needed.

The Coroner welcomes the opportunity to talk with school assemblies
and civic < groups in order to promote all of the above. He makes himself
available to all serves approximately 115,000 people within an area of
about 585 square miles.

Citizens of Dorchester County are invited to visit your Dorchester County
Coroner’s Office any time you are near the Law Enforcement Complex in
Summerville, South Carolina. If for any reason a Dorchester County Citizen
is unable to visit the office personally to discuss a private matter, please
telephone the office and the Coroner or one of his deputies will visit you.
Due to the size of Dorchester County, and to provide each citizen access
to the coroner’s office, the Coroner can hold announced meetings in each
section of the county to receive your comments on how the Coroner’s
Office can better serve you, if necessary.