Officials celebrate new Franklin County Coroner’s Office and Morgue Facility

BENTON, Ill. (KBSI) – Officials and community members gathered Wednesday with the Franklin County Board and Coroner Marty Leffler to officially inaugurate the new Franklin County Coroner’s Office and Morgue Facility.

The facility was designed to support the needs of the coroner’s office and assist grieving families during their time of loss.

It features administrative offices, an autopsy suite, evidence storage and a conference room for families.

A state-of-the-art cooler system was installed which significantly increases the capacity for holding decedents.

The enhancement means that the coroner’s office will no longer need to transport bodies to other counties for storage while families make final arrangements.

Previously, the coroner’s office could only accommodate two decedents at Franklin Hospital.

The facility was constructed within an existing county building that previously housed records.

Funding for the construction came from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.