Cornelison Funeral Home filed an emergency petition in Bannock County District Court on Wednesday, alleging that Coroner Torey Danner is blocking the cremation of three deceased individuals without explanation or stated cause.
The petition for writ of mandamus names Danner and seeks a court order compelling him to immediately authorize the cremations. All three deaths were determined to be from natural causes, and family members have authorized the cremations in each case, according to the filing.
The Three Cases
The first delayed case involves a death that occurred on August 12. The funeral home alleges Danner refused or failed to sign the cremation permit for more than three days. The second and third cases stem from deaths on August 16 and August 17, respectively, with the coroner withholding authorization for over one day in each instance.
No reason has been provided by Danner’s office for the delays, and the petition indicates no investigation has been disclosed as justification for the holds.
Operational Impact on Funeral Home
According to the petition filing, the delays are creating what the funeral home describes as “severe, immediate operational gridlock.” The facility operates with limited refrigeration capacity, and the backlog of remains is straining those resources while families await resolution.
The petition states that the delays “compromise sanitary safeguards, inflict severe emotional distress upon grieving families waiting for closure, and subject (Cornelison Funeral Home) to compounding civil storage liabilities.”, as first reported by the EastIdahoNews.com
Funeral homes rely on timely coroner authorization to process cremations, particularly in cases where deaths are certified as natural causes and next of kin consent has been obtained. Extended delays can create operational challenges and add to the emotional burden on families managing funeral arrangements.
What Comes Next
The emergency petition will be reviewed by the Bannock County District Court. If the judge grants the writ of mandamus, Danner would be ordered to sign the cremation authorizations immediately. The coroner’s office has not publicly responded to the allegations in the petition.