Documents: Former coroner accused Jordan of perjury following 2020 election

In the summer of 2020, before Wavis Jordan took office as coroner of Cape Girardeau County, Jordan's predecessor sent a file to the prosecuting attorney's office.

Former Coroner John Clifton was accusing Jordan of committing perjury, asking the prosecutor to consider criminal charges.

Clifton wrote in his letter, dated Aug. 17, 2020, that the ethics commission recommended he send the information to the prosecutor.

Clifton stated his documentation, "clearly shows that Wavis Demarcus Jordan did knowingly commit two acts of perjury when he made declarations for candidacy for the positions of Coroner and Republican Committeeman (Gordonville Voting Precinct), swearing under oath that he resided at 295 Hawks Landing, Cape Girardeau (Gordonville), MO 63701, when he did not reside at that address, and had not resided at that address since at least Dec. 12, 2016."

Clifton also asked the court be petitioned to nullify Jordan's election victory in the primary that year.

The documents shed light on Jordan's rocky tenure as coroner, which began under scrutiny, and continued through last week when the Missouri attorney general filed paperwork seeking to remove Jordan from office. In the recent filing, the AG accused Jordan of committing three Class E felonies of filing false paperwork on autopsies and a misdemeanor charge of stealing less than $20 from a deceased man's wallet. It marks at least the second time the AG's office was asked to intervene on accusations of Jordan making false statements.

Jordan filed an extension request to the court Wednesday, Feb. 14. No attorney is listed for Jordan in the civil case attempting to remove him from office. Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Welker has said previously the county would not defend Jordan in the civil or criminal case, nor provide legal advice to him.

Jordan is also facing litigation from petitioner Kevin D. Keene, the surviving spouse of Karen Kay Keene, who died May 31. Kevin Keene has filed a petition to amend the death certification of his late wife.

The AG's claims are separate from Clifton's.

Jordan could not be reached for comment. Last week, when reached by the Southeast Missourian following the AG's actions, he declined to comment.

Clifton, the former coroner, filed a complaint to the ethics commission Aug. 6, 2020.

The report included Jordan's candidate declaration form for the office of committeeman/committeewoman for the Gordonville precinct, which listed his address as 295 Hawks Landing, which was dated Feb. 25, 2020.

A notarized statement by the owner of the house at that address said she and her husband had owned the property since December 2016 and that Jordan never lived there as long as the couple had owned the house.

According to Missouri Ethics Commission, a copy of ethics complaints are sent to the respondent within five days of the filing.

Online records regarding civil matters involving Jordan show an address for an apartment on Arbor Place in Cape Girardeau in 2019 and 2021, and an Old Toll Road address in Jackson in 2018.

Welker passed along Clifton's file to the Attorney General's Office because of a conflict of interest. The attorney general's office did not file charges in the incident.

Jordan was elected Aug. 4, 2020, in a heated three-way Republican primary election for the position. He faced no opposition in the general election in November. Jordan received 39% of the votes in the primary, followed by Dennis Turner with 34% and Jerry Swan with 26%.

It was a particularly intense election for a coroner post, with ethical concerns being brought to the public concerning Turner's endorsements.

Jordan was well-known in local Republican circles, having served as president of the SEMO Pachyderms, but his only experience with working with the dead was having worked at funeral homes, working visitations, driving the hearse and preaching at funerals.

In Missouri, the coroner is only required to be at least 21 years of age, lived in Missouri for one year and in the county for six months. The state requires no medical or investigative experience to run for the office.

Turner, one of Jordan's opponents, was a deputy coroner who worked under Clifton.

Last year, the Cape Girardeau County Commission considered moving to a hired medical examiner set-up rather than an elected coroner. The commission called for proposals, but the proposals were not what the commission was looking for as a medical examiner.