Haleyville family questions suicide ruling, wants son's body exhumed for autopsy

HALEYVILLE, Ala. (WBMA) — Kimberly Mann wants her son's body exhumed after troubling questions about how his death investigation was handled. 20 year old Jeremy Abbott was found dead in July of 2017 hanging in a tree in a wooded area off Benefield Farm Road in Haleyville.

Jeremy's mother is left with questions anyone would want answered in similar circumstances. Those questions include why was there no autopsy? And where is the coroner's report?

Mann initially accepted the sheriff's office account that Jeremy's death was a suicide. Jeremy had issues with drugs she believes were fueled by a dark secret held for years. He was molested as a teenager. She explains he was involved in a 'toxic relationship' and was at times depressed.

Now Kimberly Mann believes he was murdered.

I'm sure he was purposely killed; we've heard different scenarios," remarked Mann.

A crime podcast is also spurring doubts in the community centered on the connection with missing mother Jessica Hamby. She was the one who told police where to find his body before she vanished. Jeremy had been missing a month.

Change.org petition to open death investigation

Questions center on the timeline of events, the state of the body's decomposition, and the circumstances. "I was told he was hung with a belt out of his clothes; Jeremy didn't wear a belt," said Mann.

No one could produce the coroner's report. A letter from the State Department of Forensic Sciences confirms there was no autopsy.

"I send every obvious suicide for an autopsy," explained Escambia County Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Raulerson. He told ABC3340 News at the very least a body scan would reveal broken bones.

"There should be some rules, some oversight to oversee death investigations in Alabama," said Lina Evans, Shelby County Coroner. She heads up the State Coroner's Association.

She developed a detailed guide for reports and procedures. Evans explained it outlines the way things should be done, but it's not required.

The requirements to become a county coroner may surprise you. A candidate must be at least 25 years old, county resident, registered voter, have a high school diploma, and no felony conviction.

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But there is no requirement for any medical training. Keep in mind a coroner is charged with determining a cause and manner of death. "To do a fair job, a correct job you have to have a medical background," said Evans.

And when it comes to the coroner's official report, "there is no law pertaining to records of coroners."

When a coroner loses an election or in the case of Marion County Coroner Randy Jackson passes away, where do their files go? Nobody could give us an answer as to what happened to Jeremy Abbott's file.

"Some coroners think they're personal property, that's not true. They belong to the office, they should stay with the office," advised Evans.

In most Alabama counties the coroner is elected. That changed in Escambia County where police and physicians were unhappy with the lack of autopsies and professional conduct. "It was a situation where complaints were coming in several directions," remarked Dr. Raulerson who took over the position.

He believes crucial data to guide public policy is being missed with too few autopsies. For example, ow can we know if there is a drug problem if we don't have a complete cause of death?

Dr. Raulerson says elected coroners, many times working at a local funeral home, may sometimes feel pressure from families not to dig too deeply into deaths. "You want to keep people who are voting happy," explained Dr. Raulerson. The cause of death can also have life insurance implications.

Any broad changes on regulations and rules for coroners would have to come from the state legislature.

It has to change, that's fair to the decedent and to the family," remarked Coroner Evans.

"At this point I don't know who to trust. Everyone failed to do what they're supposed to do," said Kimberly Mann.

Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams says he is confident the suicide ruling in the Abbott case is accurate. He says all the evidence pointed to that finding.

There are a handful of counties that do not have elected coroners. Jefferson county has its own medical examiner system.Tuscaloosa and Mobile are run by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Escambia and Montgomery counties have appointed positions.