Coroner retirement opens office to field

Sun., May 23, 2010

By Alison Boggs alisonb@spokesman.com (509) 459-5314

Kootenai County coroner candidates

Tom Cronin

Age: 64

Profession: Retired from 41 ½ years in law enforcement, including serving as police chief for the city of Coeur d’Alene and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and as director of the crime lab for the Chicago Police Department.

Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice and social justice from Lewis University in Illinois. One-year fellowship with Federal Bureau of Investigation at Quantico, Va.

Family: Married, with a grown daughter and stepdaughter.

Quote: “They can’t autopsy every case. That’s where my investigative background will help make decisions.”

Douglas Stafford

Age: 44

Profession: Medical doctor and surgeon specializing in vascular surgery. Has owned his practice for 10 years.

Education: Undergraduate degree from University of Iowa, medical degree from University of Wisconsin.

Family: Married, with two sons.

Quote: “When there’s questionable death circumstances or when you don’t know why they died … you need to have a knowledge of medicine.”

Debbie Wilkey

Age: 56

Profession: Has served as deputy coroner, a part-time position, for six years, worked 21 years as a nurse and eight years as a police officer.

Education: Associate’s degree in nursing from North Idaho College, bachelor’s degree in science from Lewis-Clark State College, master’s degree from University of Montana in forensic anthropology, completed police academy at Idaho State University.

Family: Single, two grown children.

Quote: “I love the content. It kind of chose me. That’s why I feel I’m probably the best candidate. I’m constantly adding to my educational background.”

A surgeon, a former police chief and a deputy coroner are vying for the chance to challenge Kootenai County’s chief deputy coroner for the top job in the November general election.

Dr. Robert West is retiring as coroner after serving since 1984, opening up the $61,535-a-year position. Jody DeLuca Hissong, the chief deputy coroner, is unopposed in the May 25 Democratic primary. The Republican primary, however, is crowded with three candidates: Tom Cronin, Douglas Stafford and Debbie Wilkey, who has picked up West’s endorsement.

Cronin, 64, was in law enforcement for 41 ½ years and ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 2008. He said most of his police work focused on investigating deaths and that he’s written articles on death investigation and lectured at Northwestern University for 13 years on the topic. He said he’s attended hundreds of autopsies.

“I have not gone to medical school, but we don’t do autopsies in this county anyway. Bodies are always sent over to Spokane,” he said. “I think I can do a really good job. I think I bring more credibility and investigative experience than anyone.”

If elected, Cronin said he’d like to see the county take a bigger role in educating the public about the importance of organ donation. Cronin said he’s not running for coroner because he needs a job; he has a pension from past employment. He said he’s running because he’s a public servant. “My entire life has been public service.”

However, Douglas Stafford, a medical doctor and surgeon, said the coroner should be a doctor with knowledge of medicine and physiology. “Everything you’re dealing with is medically related,” he said. “It’ll be up to the voters to decide.”

Stafford, 44, said running for coroner fits with his background in medicine, surgery and trauma. He said he’s a board-certified general surgeon and has a busy practice, mostly operating on varicose veins.

With 1,000 deaths in Kootenai County last year, the coroner is charged with deciding when an autopsy needs to be performed, while holding the line on costs, he said. Stafford said taking on another job will make him extremely busy, but he’s happier when he’s busy. He hopes to not have to cut back on his practice because the coroner has assistance and backup in the form of deputies.

Debbie Wilkey, 56, has served as a deputy coroner since 2004. Wilkey is a registered nurse with 21 years of experience who is licensed in Washington and Idaho. She’s worked in emergency rooms, critical care and in recovery. She was a POST-certified (Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training) police officer who worked with county and city police agencies for eight years. As a deputy coroner for the past six years, she said she’s gained experience working with families, funeral homes and organ donation issues.

Wilkey said her experience – including her nursing degree, her bachelor’s degree in science, her master’s degree in forensic anthropology and her hobby of archeological digs – has led her to this goal in life. She also teaches forensic anthropology at North Idaho College.

Wilkey said a degree isn’t offered in being a coroner, but with her educational background and training, her experience is the closest thing to it. If elected, Wilkey said she will institute family services for people dealing with the loss of a loved one. “I will make sure there’s follow-up with you,” she said. “When you want to be a death investigator and you have my background, I’m sorry, I feel that I’m the best.”