2014/12/12
WBIR December 10, 2014: Coroner resigns after being banned from crime scenes
Judge orders Cocke County Coroner Terry Jarnigan to stay away from crime scenes, not touch bodies.
After what he did to a dead man's body last month, Coroner Terry Jarnigan better stay away from any and all crime scenes and dead bodies in Cocke County.
That's the ruling from Cocke County Circuit Court Judge Ben Hooper, following a request for help by Fourth Judicial District Attorney General James "Jimmy" Dunn's office.
10News learned Jarnigan signed his letter of resignation late Tuesday, which goes into effect immediately, according to Cocke County Mayor Crystal Ottinger.
Hooper on Monday signed an order for permanent injunctive relief barring the coroner from disturbing or touching dead bodies, touching evidence or going to crime scenes. Coroners often go to scenes and view bodies as part of their work.
Jarnigan, however, has been going too far, according to court documents.
Last month, according to records, he stuck his finger Nov. 2 into the head wound of a shooting victim.
According to an affidavit from Cocke County law officers, Jarnigan showed up at Newport Medical Center. Authorities were just beginning their investigation into the death of the suspect, who had been found with a gunshot wound to the head.
"At the scene it appeared that the death was a suicide, however I sought approval form the District Attorney's Office to have the body autopsied to help to confirm whether the death was a suicide or homicide," according to an affidavit from Cocke County Sheriff's Lt. Robert Thornton.
While examining the body, Jarnigan stuck two fingers into the place where a bullet had exited victim's head. When he realized there was brain matter on his fingers, he put it back into the wound, according to the affidavit, making a comment like, "Oh, brains." more