Bannock Coroner responds to allegations of delaying cremations, says funeral home didn’t fill out proper forms
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POCATELLO – After a local funeral home filed an emergency petition against him, the Bannock County Coroner has responded to claims that he was delaying cremations.
The Cornelison Funeral Home filed an Emergency Consolidated Petition for Writ of Mandamus with the court last week, saying that Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner has failed to sign off on three cremations, delaying the process and allegedly violating the Idaho Code.
According to the Idaho Administrative Code, “no dead human body, regardless of cause of death, is to be cremated, nor is actual cremation of such a body to be commenced, unless the county coroner in the county in which the death occurred gives written authorization to cremate the body.”
On Tuesday, the Bannock County Coroner’s Office released a statement, saying they were aiming to “reiterate its commitment to public accountability and family peace of mind following recent media reports regarding cremation authorizations.”
According to the statement, the coroner’s office established a policy in January, requiring a form confirming the definitive identification of all decedents before cremation authorization is granted.
“The updated policy requires local funeral homes and mortuaries to submit a Definitive Identification of Decedent Form verifying that remains have been identified using reliable, acceptable methods satisfied by the next of kin,” says the statement.
The coroner’s office says the policy stems from vulnerabilities exposed during the 2021 Downard Funeral Home case.
“Because cremation permanently destroys all biological and genetic markers, strict verification is critical to prevent the cremation of unidentified or improperly identified remains,” says the statement.
According to the statement, for most standard cases, completing this process is straightforward and can be accomplished through the next of kin.
“Our priority is to protect grieving families and ensure they receive their loved one’s remains with absolute certainty,” says Danner in the statement. “This standard aims to prevent errors that can never be undone, ensuring no family is left wondering about the status or location of their loved one’s remains.”
In response to the funeral home’s allegations, the coroner’s office says that the initial requests for cremation were withheld because the mandatory identification forms were not provided by the funeral home.
According to the coroner, following a hearing on Monday, the required identification documentation was submitted to the coroner’s office, and authorization for all three cremations was promptly issued.
“The Bannock County Coroner’s Office will continue to enforce these verification standards uniformly across all licensed care facilities to ensure the highest level of dignity, statutory compliance, and trust for the community,” says the statement. “Should further legal proceedings related to this matter come forth, Bannock County will respond appropriately through the court system rather than through the media.