‘Deplorable.’ Former Kentucky coroner sued, accused of leaving body in hot SUV overnight
A former Morgan County coroner and county officials are facing a civil lawsuit for “mishandling” a dead body after a corpse was left in a hot SUV overnight, allowing it to rapidly decompose, according to court documents.
Basill Ray Peyton, of Salyersville, filed the suit in Morgan County Circuit Court against former Coroner Raymond Vancleave, who Peyton alleges left his brother’s body in a coroner’s SUV instead of properly transporting it.
Former Judge-Executive John Stacy and county fiscal court magistrates Brandon Evans, Carter Bolin, Donnie Keaton, Darrell Patrick and Leroy Phipps are also defendants in the lawsuit.
Peyton’s brother, Nathan Peyton, died Dec. 30. Instead of storing his brother’s body in a cooled facility, Vancleave kept the body inside a body bag in his vehicle overnight at his home, the lawsuit alleges.
Vancleave’s privileges to morgue, freezer or cooling systems at the local hospital were allegedly suspended for claims Vancleave left bodies too long and failed to pick them up, according to Peyton’s attorney, Donald McFarland.
With “unseasonably hot weather,” Peyton alleges his brother’s body rapidly decomposed in the back of the coroner’s “hot” vehicle to a point that he could not be embalmed and could only have a closed casket burial.
“The funeral service had to be conducted with a closed casket due to the unbearable smell that emanated from the casket that was occupied by the body of Nathan Dean Peyton,” the lawsuit reads.
Multiple pallbearers, visitors and funeral home staff allegedly became ill because of the “pungent and putrid odor” coming from Peyton’s casket.
“It’s deplorable,” McFarland told the Herald-Leader. “(Peyton) was a human being and deserved to be treated as such.”
Basill Peyton alleges Vancleave and county officials’ actions were reckless, negligent and careless.
Court documents allege the county officials failed to discover that Vancleave was mishandling dead bodies with “flagrant indifference and cruel and unjust treatment with subjective awareness” that Vancleave’s conduct would result in Peyton’s abuse.
“I think in this instance, a mistake was made,” McFarland said. “I am not saying this was intentional ... and I don’t think that Vancleave is a bad person, but his actions were reckless and careless, and some mistakes have bigger consequences.”
Basill Peyton says in his lawsuit he suffered severe mental and physical pain and incurred medical and hospital expenses for his mental health treatment. He is seeking punitive damages.
McFarland said Basill Peyton and his brother were close and talked everyday.
Vancleave is no longer the Morgan County coroner, county officials confirmed Thursday morning. He retired in early 2023 after notice of the claim was sent, according to McFarland.
Vancleave was not reachable Thursday morning by a number provided on the county’s website.
