Pueblo County board ranks interim coroner candidate; formal appointment pending fingerprints and background check

The Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 said it will move forward with Dr. Gregory Grehick as its choice for interim coroner after a weighted internal ranking, but the board stopped short of immediately appointing him and directed staff to obtain fingerprints and run a background check before a resolution and swearing-in.

The board debated five finalists selected from 16 applicants and used a SurveyMonkey-style weighted ranking of the commissioners’ preferences. County staff reported the resulting scores: Gregory Grehick 3.00, Solange Macaulay Pachicha 2.67, Justin Youngren 2.33 and Felicia McQueen 2.00. "By the survey, Dr. Greyheck would be the appointed coroner," the chair said after staff read the results, and commissioners agreed staff should contact the top-ranked candidate to begin preappointment checks.

Commissioner (S2), who led the candidate interviews, said state law requires the board to appoint an interim coroner to serve the remainder of the current term and emphasized three selection criteria: avoid conflicts of interest noted in the coroner statute, pick a candidate with the necessary experience or the ability to learn death-investigation duties quickly, and choose someone able to provide administrative leadership. "Conflicts of interest like this will be a strong disadvantage for any candidate," Commissioner (S2) said, referring to the transcript-cited statute (transcript: "CRS 30 10 6 1 9").

Other commissioners voiced competing priorities. Commissioner (S6) told the board the top candidate should be someone who can make the coroner role "their absolute number 1 priority," including being prepared to resign outside employment if necessary. Commissioner (S1) and others said administrative and managerial experience also mattered because the office oversees staff and a budget. The board repeatedly framed the appointment as an interim, 15-month decision; an election for coroner is scheduled for November 2026.

Public comment earlier in the meeting reflected heightened community attention after recent events involving the coroner's office. Public speaker Elvis Martinez condemned violence and raised several allegations about past local officials and mortuary ties; another commenter, Wendy, urged attention to public-safety matters such as unlicensed drivers on school routes. The board said those public concerns weighed on commissioners as they evaluated candidates, but commissioners also cautioned they sought to remain evidence-driven in their selection.

County Attorney Cynthia Mitchell (S3) told the board the appointment cannot be finalized until fingerprints are submitted to the clerk and recorder and any disqualifying criminal history is checked. The board instructed staff to contact Dr. Grehick to request fingerprints and offered to perform a standard background check as used for county employees; if the checks are acceptable, the board said it will schedule a meeting to adopt a resolution, swear in the appointee and have the interim coroner start service.

The board stressed the interim appointment is intended to restore stability and public trust ahead of the 2026 election. Commissioner (S2) said, "This has not been the easiest decision for our board to make," and called for the community to hold the interim appointee accountable once appointed.

Next steps: staff will contact the top-ranked candidate about fingerprinting and background checks. If those clear, the board will return with a resolution to make the appointment and swear in the interim coroner.