Madison County Coroner's Investigators receive advanced certification

EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Coroner Stephen P. Nonn is reporting that three additional career staff investigators at the Coroner’s Office have achieved an advanced death investigator certification, joining 236 death investigator colleagues nationwide who have earned the distinction.

Coroner’s Investigators Diondra N. Horner, Kelsey M. Wofford, and Sakina T. Vernor have all be awarded board certification and “Fellow” status as a medicolegal death investigator through the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) in recent weeks, bringing the total number of advanced investigators now on staff in Madison County to five.

The ABMDI is a voluntary national, not-for-profit, independent professional certification board established to promote professionalism amongst death investigators in coroner and medical examiner jurisdictions throughout the United States. The board certification process includes successful previous completion of basic certification, the accumulation of a minimum of 4,000 hours death investigation experience, character and background assessment, and a five and one-half hour written examination in essay and multiple choice format.

“We have always been pleased to have 100 percent basic Diplomate level certification of all of our investigators as soon as they are eligible to take the exam. Now, we are taking things to the next level as we have five of the twenty advanced certification investigators in Illinois right here in Madison County”, said Coroner Nonn. “I certainly would not want to diminish or slight any of my coroner colleagues around the state, but I have to admit that I am proud of the fact that Madison County has more advanced certifications than any other coroner’s or medical examiner’s office in the Land of Lincoln. This onward and upward desire to achieve professionalism is what I want my staff to provide to the taxpayers”, Nonn added.

Horner, first joined the staff of the coroner’s office in 2012 in a clerical capacity, moving up to investigator in March, 2013. She holds a Bachelor degree from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville with a major in biology and a minor in forensic science.

Wofford also joined the coroner’s office as an investigator in March, 2013 as well. Also a graduate of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Wofford has a Bachelor degree with a major in anthropology and a minor in forensic science.

Vernor joined the coroner’s office as an investigator in 2006 following a stint in the United States Army where she served as a military police officer with overseas duty stations including South Korea and Iraq. She has a bachelor degree from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Lindenwood University.

Both investigators have received numerous hours of additional specialized and technical training during their tenure at the coroner’s office as well.

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