Instructor: Laura G. Kneece, MPA, F AMBDI, C-MDI, is the elected Coroner of Newberry County, South Carolina, in office since 2017. A certified medicolegal death investigator—one of only ten in SC—she brings extensive law enforcement and forensic experience from her prior roles in Lexington County. Kneece founded the Newberry County Coroner’s Foundation to support education and community needs, and under her leadership, the Coroner’s Office achieved rare national accreditation. She resides in Prosperity with her family and balances public service with personal interests like gardening, camping, and travel. Description: This course will introduce attendees to the coroner system, a legal and investigative framework responsible for determining the cause and manner of deaths—particularly those that are sudden, unexplained, or suspicious. Attendees will learn how coroners, who may be medical doctors, legal professionals, or laypersons depending on the jurisdiction, collaborate with law enforcement, forensic pathologists, and other agencies to conduct inquests, order autopsies, and issue death certificates. The coroner system plays a vital role in supporting public health, ensuring justice, and enhancing community safety.