Mississippi Coroner Buries Men Secretly

Gretchen, unaware of her son's demise, finally came to the pauper's field to witness his exhumation for a proper funeral. A staff member from the Hinds County coroner's office had informed her that she could attend the process.

On the scene, she confronted Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart, questioning why she had not been notified of her son's death. Grisham-Stewart, in a recorded exchange, shifted blame, asserting that locating missing persons was not within her purview. Hankins emphasized that such responsibilities were inherent in the coroner's role.

Bailey Martin, a spokesperson for the state medical examiner, clarified that county coroners are mandated to undergo a 40-hour training course every four years, covering aspects such as locating and communicating with next of kin. Martin underscored that, regardless of county procedures, the ultimate responsibility for death notification rests with the county coroner.

Despite this revelation, Grisham-Stewart, under scrutiny, informed Hankins that she could not be present during the exhumation. A Hinds County sheriff's deputy subsequently ordered Hankins, her sister, friends, a reporter, and a photographer to leave the cemetery.

Grisham-Stewart, so far, has not responded to requests for comment. The Hinds County Sheriff’s Department justified the exclusion, stating that public access to the pauper’s cemetery required prior requests due to its location on jail property.

This encounter marked the first time Hankins had met Grisham-Stewart since discovering her son's death in December. NBC News had broken the news during an investigation into failed death notifications in Hinds County. Documents revealed that Grisham-Stewart's office had identified Jonathan Hankins' body shortly after the police found him dead in a Jackson motel room.

However, no one contacted his mother, despite her reporting him missing to authorities in neighboring Rankin County. Jonathan's name was even listed in a publicly accessible federal database of missing persons. A simple Google search by Grisham-Stewart's office could have provided information about Jonathan Hankins' family and their efforts to locate him.

It wasn't until December, when NBC News informed Gretchen Hankins about her son's demise, that she paid the county $300 to regain control of his body and arrange for the exhumation of his remains.

Source: NBC