Testimony heard regarding former Cape County coroner's alleged theft from deceased in first day of trial

The former Cape Girardeau County coroner, Wavis Jordan, took the stand to testify in the first day of his bench trial Wednesday, March 5, at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson.

Lynnee Chambers represented Jordan as his defense attorney while assistant attorneys general Gregory Goodwin and Miranda Loesch represented the prosecution. The prosecution brought several witnesses to testify, including many Cape Girardeau police officers, deputy coroners and family of the deceased.

Jordan is facing three class E felony counts of providing false information to vital records and a misdemeanor theft charge regarding allegations he took less than $20 from a deceased person's wallet.

In her opening statement, Loesch said that while Jordan filled out death certificates, he was told in specific cases by police officers that a death of a person seemed to be a suicide, Jordan would write it off as a heart attack. In Chamber's opening statement, she said mistakes and miscommunication do not make malice.

Chambers also told the court the prosecution couldn't meet the burden of proof for their case.

Loesch brought Cape Girardeau police officers Jacob Carter, Wyatt Willis and James Skinner, and former deputy coroner Jason Poole to speak on the incident involving Jordan allegedly stealing money.

Carter was one of the first officers to arrive on the scene involving the death of Donald Joyce. Carter said that when he found Joyce's wallet, he took a photo of it and said it had around $20 in it. After finding the wallet, Carter said he had placed it back on a bookshelf where it had been found.

After the coroners arrived, including Jordan and Poole, Carter said noticed the wallet was gone from the bookshelf. Carter said once he was told it could be with Jordan, Carter found Jordan in his van. Carter said when he was handed the wallet, it no longer contained the cash, but Jordan said there wasn't any cash. Carter took another photo of the wallet once he found out there was no cash in it.

Willis, who also worked the death investigation, said he also found out that Jordan was in possession of the wallet.

Skinner said the officers involved in the incident with the missing money were investigated.

Poole, who is now a Cape Girardeau Fire Department paramedic captain, said he noticed that Jordan was gone from the scene, when asked about the wallet. Poole said he never opened the wallet.

Poole said when the officers asked Jordan about the wallet there was a "back and forth" that ended up with Jordan leaving the scene.

Poole also added that while it's normal for the coroners to check wallets for a person's identity, Jordan didn't have to go out to his van to check it.

Chambers asked whether Carter actually saw Jordan take money out of the wallet, and he said "no".

In Jordan's testimony, he said he didn't steal from the wallet and had it on his person for 10 minutes at most. Jordan also noted that it was the first time being questioned by a police officer while in possession of a wallet.

The court will reconvene for Judge Fred Copeland's verdict at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson.