Coroner 2024-2028 Term
Wayne County Coroner Phillip Brewer, CMEI
Address: Wayne County Courthouse, 609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro, MS 39367
Office:
Fax:
Email: coroner@waynecountyms.gov
Coroner’s responsibilities
The office of coroner is filled through an at-large election to serve a four-year term. The county coroner must, as a minimum, possess a high school diploma or its equivalent, be 21 years of age or older and be a qualified elector of the county in which elected.
Prior to taking the oath of office, each elected coroner must attend the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory and State Medical Examiner Death Investigation Training School, successfully completing all exams on the subject matter presented. Each coroner elected is recognized as a county medical examiner (CME) or county medical examiner investigator. A CME is a doctor of medicine (M.D.) or osteopathic medicine (D.O.) licensed in Mississippi, while a CMEI is a non-physician possessing, as a minimum, a high school diploma or its equivalent. The coroner is then designated the chief medical examiner or chief medical examiner investigator for the county following the completion of the Death Investigation Training School.
In addition to the successful completion of the Death Investigation Training School, the CME/CMEI must successfully complete additional training on subject material presented by the State Medical Examiner at least once every four years. Moreover, the CME/CMEI must also receive at least 24 hours of continuing education annually.
The CME/CMEI, with the board of supervisors, may appoint deputy medical examiners or deputy medical examiner investigators as deemed necessary. However, any county with a population of 20,000 or greater is required to appoint one or more deputies. All deputies possess the same authority and duties and are subject to the same qualifications, training and certification requirements as any CME/CMEI.
The CME/CMEI is responsible for assuring readily available death investigators for the county 24 hour-a-day for the investigation of all deaths “affecting the public interest.”