Columbia County Probate Judge Alice Padgett has named Keith Cox as interim Columbia County Coroner.
Cox is a long-time resident of Columbia County and retired at the rank of captain from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office after a 30-year career in law enforcement.
Mr. Cox will serve out the unexpired term of long serving coroner, Vernon Collins, who retired on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Mr. Cox’s duties as coroner are effective immediately, a press release says.
“I am proud to have served the citizens of this great county for the last 30 years and am now looking forward to retirement and spending time with my family,” Collins said in his retirement letter.
The coroner and his deputy coroners are responsible for investigating the deaths of all those who die at home, in accidents, in wrecks or under questionable circumstances, in addition to those who die within 24 hours of being admitted to a hospital and all deaths of anyone age 18 and under.
