Edward Howell possesses the qualities and credentials necessary to ably handle the position of Wayne County Coroner. He is a licensed funeral director and bereavement counselor, holds a specialization certificate in child and adolescent grief counseling, and volunteers his time to co-facilitate a children’s bereavement group with Hospice of the Sacred Heart. His college B.S. degree is in Biopsychology (body and mind) from Messiah College, with an A.O.S. in Funeral Service and Mortuary Science from Simmons Institute. His job will be to provide deathcare, not healthcare.

Remember that a coroner’s job is to investigate any death that occurs outside of a medical facility, or in a medical facility if the patient has been admitted for less than 24 hours, with the only exception being a patient who expires under home health or hospice care. The coroner must determine the cause and manner of death, drawing on medical records, information from the family, any witnesses to the death and police reports. If the coroner feels a more thorough examination needs to be completed, the coroner may schedule a post-mortem examination, or autopsy, which can only be performed by a medical board certified pathologist. In Wayne County, the pathologist usually comes from Lackawanna County, since no pathologist is based in our county. Our present coroner, Carol Lienert, cannot perform an autopsy, nor can either Edward Howell or Dr. William Davis. The coroner, however, will be expected to advocate for the deceased and deal with the family. The coroner will be on call at any hour of the day or night, any day of the week, to provide services to the deceased. The coroner is not a prosecutor. The chief responsibility of the coroner is to serve as a team player and deathcare provider in the best interests of the deceased.

Dr. Henry and Jean Nebzydoski

Pleasant Mount, PA