Prowers County voters tasked with electing new County Coroner in November election

Jamie Calloway

Anthony Letteer

In the upcoming November election, voters in Prowers County will be asked to make a choice regarding the next County Coroner. Two candidates are running for the position.  Jamie Calloway is running as an Independent, while Anthony Letteer is running on the Republican ticket. To help voters get to know the candidates and make an informed choice, we asked each of them to provide answers to six questions.  The questions and their responses follow:

Question 1:  Why are you running for coroner?

Calloway: “I want to serve as county coroner because I believe every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, especially in the moments following their death. The coroner’s role is an important responsibility to the families and to the community- determining the circumstances surrounding a death, documenting facts accurately, and helping to provide families with the answers during an incredibly difficult time. I am interested in this position because I value service, professionalism, attention to detail and compassion. I would approach every case objectively, follow established procedures, work closely with other agencies, medical professionals and communicate respectfully with families. Ultimately, I want to serve my community in a role where integrity, fairness and careful attention to the facts can make a difference”.

Letteer: “In 2019, my mom passed away from a heart attack. It was one of the hardest days of my life and my first experience with a coroner. Nobody ever wants to meet a coroner under those circumstances, but when they arrive, you hope to be met with professionalism and compassion. That’s exactly what I experienced when my mom passed away. That experience showed me what a meaningful opportunity it is to serve people during some of their hardest moments. As a pastor, I’ve sat with families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. I’ve learned that when people are grieving, they need someone who will show up, listen, and tell them honestly what is known and what happens next. I’m running because I want families in Prowers County to receive that kind of care from the Coroner’s Office, along with a thorough investigation when one is needed”.

Question 2: What are your goals for the department?

            Calloway: “My primary goals as Coroner are to strengthen the professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability of the Coroner’s Office while ensuring that it operates in a fiscally responsible, law enforcement, service-oriented manner. An important priority will be rebuilding public trust through transparency and consistent, professional practices The Coroner’s Office has a significant responsibility to deceased individuals, their families, and the community.  Every death investigation should be conducted with objectivity, attention to detail, respect, and compassion.  Families should feel confident that their loved one’s case is being handled with the highest level of professionalism and dignity. I also want to restore a strong sense of professionalism and dignity to the office.  The position of Coroner carries an important responsibility, and I believe the office should reflect the seriousness of that responsibility in its conduct, communication, appearance, and interactions with families, law enforcement, medical professionals, and the public. Fiscal responsibility will also be a priority. I will work to ensure that taxpayer resources are managed carefully, that expenditures are appropriate and necessary, and the office maintains the training, equipment and resources to perform its duties effectively.  Another key goal is to develop a trained casualty response team capable of working in coordination with emergency management, law enforcement, fire and EMS, healthcare providers and other agencies during mass-casualty incidents.  Establishing clear procedures, training and interagency coordination will help ensure that our community is prepared to respond effectively and respectfully during a large-scale incident. Ultimately, my goal is to establish a Coroner’s Office that is trusted by the community, respected by our partner agencies, accountable to the taxpayers, and committed to providing every family with professionalism, compassion, transparency, and dignity during one of the most difficult times in their lives”.

Letteer: “I want the office to do two things well:  Conduct careful death investigations and communicate compassionately with families. That means documenting findings, working closely with law enforcement and medical professionals, and keeping families informed as answers become available.  I also want to review how calls are covered so people across Prowers County can depend on the office when they need it”.

Questions 3: “What experience do you have to support your candidacy”?

Calloway: Over the past 14 years as a mortician, I have gained a pretty diverse collection of experience. I started in the funeral business in 2012 from the ground up. I started helping folks plan their funeral/cremation in advance. This moved to me to working full time in the funeral home as an admin. The owner of the funeral home asked me if I would want to apprentice under him. At this point I wanted to educate myself as much as I could given this opportunity. I learned how to properly move and handle a decedent from transfer from the house to the funeral home. Also how to move a decedent within the mortuary, for example, to embalming, during embalming, during dressing and casketing to name a few. I have learned how to evaluate initial condition after death and make notations and initial findings. As far as mortuary work I am proficient in embalming and autopsy repair, treating difficult conditions to the body, dressing and casketing and finishing. I also have experience operating the crematory and the processing into “ashes”. I have served thousands of families through the death process. Planning, meeting, ordering and organizing an entire service, and do any scheduling for the cemetery. Working with other agencies and creating relationships was very important in death care. I daily had to work with other coroner offices and their investigators, veterans affairs, doctors, hospices, victims assistance with city and county government, private autopsy agencies, other funeral homes, churches, cemeteries, branches of service for military honors and a host of other tasks.

Letteer: I’ve completed medicolegal death investigation training and have chosen to pursue national certification to build on it. I am a post certified reserve officer currently volunteering with the Prowers County Sheriff’s Office, giving me an understanding of legal procedures, being a public servant, and keeping good working relations with law enforcement agencies and responders which will be necessary. I bring something else this office needs: experience leading a county service. As operations manager for Prowers Area Transit, I work with staff, schedules, and procedures, as well as maintaining budgets, and I have an understanding of how this county–Prowers–operates with its policies and procedures and working with the numerous officials that help run it. As a pastor, I’ve supported families through loss. I have also trained in   health first aid, understanding the range of emotions that can take place in the midst of tragedy. I would bring those experiences together: preparing for the investigative work, making sure the office operates reliably, and treating families with care.

Questions 4: Are there any changes to the office that you would like to see -i.e., equipment, personnel, budget etc?

Calloway: As far as changes for the office I personally would request certain items to efficiently operate the office. I am very fiscally aware and responsible. I believe with my bachelors degree in business, I can make smart decisions budget wise. My goal is to learn the budget and see what is actually needed. I tend to be more conservate and I feel the budget needs to be tightened up a bit. The coroners office require certain tools needed to complete physical and investigational tasks. These are supply items to be kept in the van at all times. I would need to have different strengths of body bags/coroner pouches to use depending on the situation. I also would need personal protective equipment (PPE). Gloves, suits, masks, shoe covers for personal protection, and also would require a respirator for HAZMAT situations. A tote with all clean up supplies needed for any clean up on scene. I also would have a separate tote with investigation supplies needed. One or two cots for the van, one average sized cot and one oversized cot for different weights and sizes of decedents. Personnel is essential in the coroners office. My preference is to be on every call by myself, unless I need help on scene or if I am not available. If I was not available, a back up would be designated to assure coverage. There will be one on call cell phone for whoever is on call other than me. I feel I would need 3 maybe 4 deputies unless circumstances require more. I will interview applicants and make an educated decision for what is best for the office.

Letteer: Before asking for new equipment or positions, I would review what the office has and where the needs are. I’d pay particular attention to response coverage, training, documentation, and bring budget concerns to the commissioners early. If the office needs additional resources, I want the county and its taxpayers to know what is needed, what it costs, and how it improves service.Questions 5:  The current Coroner had repeatedly challenged the part-time status of the office.  Do you agree with his feelings that it should be a full-time position?  

Calloway: Prowers County does not need a full time coroner. The El Paso County Coroners Office performs the autopsies for smaller counties on the south end of the state. According to the El Paso County’s annual coroner report, between 2020-2024, there were on average 12-17 unattended deaths in Prowers County. This would only be people who passed away due to an accident, drug related or found after a period of time for example. A full time office would require a large, consistent population of unknown deaths, performing 100’s of autopsies a day. With 12-17 deaths a year, our county is not a full time county.

Letteer: A family’s need does not depend on whether the coroner’s position is classified as part-time or full-time. I do not foresee this as a challenge to be made, but I will do my due diligence to review the workload, coverage, and costs. No matter what the evidence shows, a death investigation cannot simply wait for normal business hours, and families deserve a timely response. If the evidence does show that the office needs a different staffing arrangement, I would bring a clear proposal and its costs to the people of Prowers county.

Question 6: What are some things you would like the voters to know about you personally or professionally?

Calloway: I was born and raised in Colorado Springs to my Mom and Dad, who just celebrated their 53 wedding anniversary. I went to Colorado State University in Fort Collins and I graduated with my bachelors in Agricultural Business. I wanted to move to the Arkansas Valley but due to the drought there was no employment. I returned back to Colorado Springs and had a few long term employers. In 2012 I started working in the mortuary helping folks with pre planning their arrangements. This lead me to doing more admin work like answering phones, writing obituaries, making slide shows etc. In 2013 the owner of the funeral home asked me if I ever thought about apprenticing and learning under him. I basically did everything he did and learned hands on. He taught me how to embalm, dress and casket the deceased, restorative art and cosmetizing, operate the crematory, treat and learn about difficult cases, meet with families, conduct viewings, funeral and memorial services, do all the purchasing and ordering needed and assist veterans affairs. Along with a host of other duties that was needed or popped up. I left the funeral home during COVID and I began working for the Colorado Department of Corrections and I was at Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility in Canon City, Colorado. I was a corrections officer in a housing unit and monitored 900 offenders throughout the day. I love people, I care about people, I do what’s right, I work hard, and what you see is what you get. I cannot wait to serve all the people of Prowers County as the next County Coroner.

Letteer: My wife and I are raising our two children here, and we have enjoyed serving in our community in many different capacities. To love others and serve well has been an important focal point in our lives. I now serve this community as a pastor, a county operations manager, and a volunteer with the Sheriff’s Office. Those roles have taught me that people need more than good intentions. They need someone who answers, follows through, and takes responsibility when a problem needs fixing. I would approach the Coroner’s Office with compassion for families, care and integrity in every investigation, and accountability for how the office is run.

By: Barbara Crimond