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Newton County coroner Scott McCord to lead suicide-prevention walk Sept. 21
Summary
Scott McCord, Newton County coroner, said advances in DNA and forensic genetic genealogy helped close cold cases and that he has formed the nonprofit Identify Indiana; he urged residents to join a Suicide Prevention mental-health awareness walk at the Newton County Fairgrounds on Sept. 21 to open conversations and support families.
Scott McCord, Newton County coroner, said his office has used advances in DNA and forensic genetic genealogy to identify long-unresolved remains and will host a community Suicide Prevention mental-health awareness walk at the Newton County Fairgrounds on Sept. 21.
McCord, who said he retired from county service in 2016 after 34 years as a paramedic and has served as coroner for 15 years, described the walk as a family-friendly, noncompetitive 5K designed to start conversations about suicide prevention and to offer support to bereaved families. "We were actually able to identify all three of them and get them home to their families," McCord said of three skeletal remains cases his office worked and later identified.
The walk, which McCord described as the fourth annual event (with a one-year gap), will begin at 6 p.m. with registration starting at 5 p.m. at the Newton County Fairgrounds. A DJ will provide music, and organizers will offer a grill and dinner; McCord said "Sheriff Catherine" and others will be helping to cook. Tickets are available via the Newton County coroner Facebook page and an Eventbrite link: $35 for the walk, dinner and a shirt, or $20 for walk and dinner without a shirt.
McCord said the event is intended to be "uplifting" rather than somber and to encourage people to share experiences: after the walk organizers will light a fire pit and invite families who have lost someone to suicide to display storyboards and talk about their loved ones. "The way we stop that is we have to open up a conversation," McCord said, noting his belief that public conversation helps prevention.
He also announced that his newly formed nonprofit, Identify Indiana, has begun taking cases to identify unidentified remains statewide and that the University of Indianapolis recently transferred 40 cases to his office for follow-up.
During the segment host Sheriff Cine reminded listeners that the Newton County sheriff's mobile app is available for Android and iPhone and is free to download; the app includes information on road closures, crash reports, inmate information and department updates.
McCord said past walk turnout reached about 130 people and organizers hope to draw roughly 175 participants this year. He encouraged families and community members to participate and to use the event to promote conversation about mental health and suicide prevention.
Registration details and the Eventbrite link are posted on the Newton County coroner Facebook page. The coroner's office and Sheriff Cine closed the segment by thanking one another and wishing success for the coroner's work on cold cases and the new intake of cases from the university.
