ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — Stacey Sullivan was sworn in this week as the first female deputy coroner in Anderson County’s history.
Sullivan has a 15-year medical background with forensic science training.
“I was always really interested and that’s why I kind of learned more as I got older and as I gained more experience in medicine I realized it was an option so I decided to go for it. I am really happy,” said Sullivan.
Anderson Co. Chief Deputy Coroner Don McCown said Sullivan was chosen out of 56 applicants.
“She was able to come into the interview process and essentially blew the board away.”
McCown said a mixture of law enforcement and medical background is required.
When talking about the job itself, he said one of the biggest challenges can be locating a deceased person’s family.
“I cannot overemphasize enough for people to put their emergency contact information on the driver’s license, put something in your wallet like the old days where something should happen to me because it is really a challenge sometimes for deputy death investigators to locate family,” said McCown.
Another challenge is notifying the family.
“I wish we could put ourselves in their shoes you know you’re at work all of a sudden somebody shows up in a suit or uniform and they’re there to tell you that your husbands not coming home that night, your son or your daughter has been injured or killed,” McCown said. “I can’t imagine anything more devastating than that.”
According to Deputy McCown, not only have they added Sullivan to the team, but they plan on furthering their community outreach through their projected drug awareness program.
