Coroner

Greenwood County Coroner's Office
James T. Coursey, Coroner
600 Monument St, Suite 223, Box 127
Greenwood, South Carolina 29648

Telephone: 864-942-8552
Fax Number: 864-942-8498

About The Greenwood County Coroner's Office

The Office of the Greenwood County Coroner investigates all suspicious and violent deaths, as well as any death occurring outside of a hospital or nursing home within Greenwood County. In addition, any death occurring less than 24-hours after a patient is admitted to a Greenwood hospital and all emergency room deaths must be investigated. The Office of the Coroner is responsible to see that relatives and loved ones are notified of the death. When at all possible, these notifications are made in person.

The position of Coroner is established by Constitutional law to serve the people of a respective county. The Greenwood County Coroner is the Chief Investigating Officer for all deaths requiring an investigation and must work closely with all Law Enforcement Agencies. When multiple investigating agencies are involved, the Coroner serves to coordinate the investigating efforts. The Coroner is responsible for insuring that all evidence at a death scene is properly preserved and that the personal belongings of the deceased are safeguarded and returned to the families.

It is the sole responsibility and lawful duty of the Coroner to determine the manner of death of every person who dies in Greenwood County, or dies from injuries that occurred in Greenwood County. The Coroner retains the assistance of experts from various fields.

The pathologist or physician consulting with the Coroner determines the cause of death. The Coroner must determine through investigation whether the death was natural, accidental,homicidal, suicidal or of undetermined cause(s). Experts from anthropology, toxicology, odontology, entomology, photography, trace evidence collection and other forensic specialties may assist in the determination of the cause of death. The Coroner and the Solicitor are totally responsible for determining when an autopsy is performed.

The person of Coroner should be a well-qualified, respected, informed, prompt, courteous, and cooperative professional. The business of the Office of the Coroner should be conducted in an unbiased and dignified manner

Greenwood County Coroner’s Office Staff

Coroner: James T. Coursey
	Jim Coursey has been in public service for more than 30 years. He was born and raised in Greenwood County. In 1976 he received a BS degree in Psychology from Lander University. Jim is a graduate of the FBI Academy in Quantico Virginia. He retired from the City of Greenwood Police Department as the Chief of Police. Following retirement, he worked in the private sector. In 1999, Governor Hodges approved Jim Coursey to complete the unexpired term of the retiring Coroner. The County Coroner position is an elected four-year term in office. Subsequently, Jim has been successfully re-elected to the position. To remain knowledgeable about new developments in the field, he attends legal and medical conferences, seminars and workshops. He is a graduate of the Medico-Legal Death Investigator Training program at the St. Louis University Medical School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Chief Deputy Coroner: Marcia Kelley
	Marcia Kelley joined the staff of the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office in 2000, and was appointed Chief Deputy Coroner in 2005. For a number of years she was a 911 Dispatcher which provided a solid basis for understanding the emergency needs of the Greenwood community. Born in Greenwood, Marcia graduated from Greenwood High School and attended Piedmont Technical College. She is also a graduate of the Death Investigator Training program, from St. Louis University. She has attended Coroner School, and SLED training programs in Columbia. She supervises the activities of staff with the Coroner’s Office.
Investigator: Steve Owings
	Steve Owings was born in Laurens County and raised in Greenwood. He holds an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and retired from the Greenwood County Police Department. Steve has been with the Coroner’s Office since 1997. He has attended a variety of educational programs pertaining to death investigation and serves as the Death Investigator in the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office.

The services provided by the Coroner’s Office are augmented by part time Deputy Coroners: Lee Phillips, James Sanders, and Debbie Moreland.