Coroner


Keith von Lutcken, Coroner, Florence County, is a lifelong resident of Florence.

Prior to being elected as Coroner in November of 2012, he served with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office for twenty six plus years.

Twenty three of those were assigned to the Forensics/Crime Scene unit. Keith was also a member of the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team for 12 years and a member of Florence County’s COBRA Team.

He has attended over forty Forensic-Science related schools specializing in the areas of fingerprints, tire and footwear, crime scene and medical photography, drug analysis, firearms and ballistics analysis, crime scene reconstruction, blood spatter interpretation, forensic archaeology and anthropology, and death investigation.

Has also been Haz-Mat certified and has received extensive training through the Dept. of Homeland Security in the area of evidence collection and preservation of terrorists attacks and mass fatalities.


Mission

The mission of the Florence County Coroner’s Office is to provide the citizens of our county with the best possible death investigation available. The purpose of an investigation is to determine the manner and cause of death surrounding the circumstances, to ensure it is thoroughly understood, and doing so in a professional and compassionate manner. Further, I feel it is the responsibility of this office to educate the citizens of our county in an effort to decrease and prevent deaths.

Currently, the office consists of an assistant and Deputy Coroner.

Responsibilities

  • Performs independent investigations into traumatic, sudden/unexpected, suspicious, and unattended deaths.
  • Makes notifications to families.
  • Makes positive identifications of the deceased.
  • Creates reports related to all deaths investigated by the Office.
  • Issues burial transit permits for individuals who have died outside of a hospital.
  • Makes the final determination as to manner and cause of death.
  • Handles the release of personal effects to next of kin.
  • Acts as the central repository for all records relative to a death.
  • Maintains the County Coroner’s Book of Inquisitions.
  • Conducts inquests.
  • Issues cremation permits pursuant to Section 17-5-600 of the S.C. Code of Laws as amended.

Cremation Permit

To obtain a cremation permit please fax (843)-676-8716 or email the Coroner.
• Certified Death Certificate (We do accept signed abstract certificates)
• Burial Removal Transit Permit (BRT)
• Signed Family Authorization Form