Letter to the Editor – Part Two “Tommy Dunagan went against the wishes of myself and family”

TO THE EDITOR:

Prowers County Coroner, Tommy Dunagan, went against the wishes of myself and my family, went behind our back and ordered an autopsy to be done on my father, out of “[his] own curiosity.”

Tommy Dunagan came to my house a few hours after I attempted to save my fathers life, unsuccessfully.
When he asked how I felt about an autopsy, I stated, “my father wouldn’t want that, and neither do I.”
He tried to persuade me. I didn’t budge.

Once he left my home, I never heard from him again. The only reason I knew an autopsy was performed, was because I directly asked Donor Alliance, as my father’s wish was to be an organ & tissue donor, in the honor of his life long friend who passed while awaiting a lung transplant.

My father’s wish was unfulfilled due to Tommy’s choices.

My father was not able to donate life to others in need. Which also means that other people who might have had a glimmer of hope hearing that there could’ve been a possible of a donor, were not able to receive life-saving/sustaining gifts my father wished to give.

The County Coroner orders the autopsy.

Autopsies are performed at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Colorado Springs.

When an autopsy is ordered, organs cannot be harvested. Tissue and bone grafts may only be taken from the lower limbs.

Thursday, March 26th, I completed a records request on the website of the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, which is the State Medical Examiner’s Office. I was then contacted by an employee of the El Paso County corners office, who stated that because it is a Prowers County case, they cannot release the records, and asked me if the Prowers County Coroner had not contacted me. I told the employee that I have not heard from him since my dad died on December 19th. The employee stated they would reach out to Tommy to have him get the records to me.

Friday, March 27th, I received my father’s death certificate. Prior to this, I could not receive an official death certificate because it was not signed by the Prowers County Coroner…

This same day I emailed and texted Tommy Dunagan at his PROWERS COUNTY contact information, requesting both the Autopsy and the Toxicology reports he ordered on my father’s body.

Today, Wednesday, April 1st, I receive this email from Tommy Dunagan, as the Prowers County Coroner.

I guess when you hurt Tommy’s feelings he gets to sit on the withheld records and will only sign a death certificate when El Paso County higher ups get involved.

Tommy should have reached out to me immediately when he received the reports.
Did he? No.
He waited for me to reach out to him.
Such an abuse of power from a public official.

Just remember, your vote matters.

The death certificate was filed December 24th, 2025.
Tommy Dunagan didn’t sign it until Wednesday, March 25th, 2026.
Perhaps his new Bent County Badge keeps him too busy.

Karleigh Bencomo, daughter of Harold Ray “JR” Day