Jan. 26—George Franklin Jr. has announced his intention to seek reelection for the Office of Cass County Coroner.

“(It) is an honor to assist surviving family members through a very difficult time in their life,” Franklin said in a press release. “I have served as Cass County Coroner for a total of seven years. During that time I have gained much knowledge and experience in death investigation.”

Franklin is a certified Medical Legal Death Investigator in the State of Indiana and a member of the Indiana Coroners Association. He also served in the Logansport Police Department for 23 years before retirement.

Franklin said his office works closely with many agencies around the county including the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Logansport Police Department as well as Memorial Hospital and Cass County Medics and all of the firefighters in Cass County.

Franklin said he has an appointed deputy coroner who serves as a counselor and recently brought on a pastor as well.

“It is important to me that The Cass County Coroner’s Office assist the grieving families in any way possible, including with their faith,” he said. “I have a well-trained staff that is always willing to do what they can to assist the citizens of Cass County in any way necessary through their grieving process.”

Franklin said Cass County, similar to the entire nation, has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of drug-related deaths over the past four years.

In 2023 Cass County recorded 21 drug death overdose cases. Two overdose deaths have been confirmed so far this year.

“That is not acceptable,” Franklin said. “We have also seen a small increase in the number of suicides. Even one of these types of deaths is one too many.”

Franklin said he appointed Tom Keller, a counselor and volunteer firefighter, to coordinate a Suicide Overdose Fatality Review (SOFR) team consisting of addiction experts, Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Logansport Police Department, Memorial Hospital, Cass County Health Department, mental health agencies, Cass County Probation Department, Cass County Medics, Indiana Department of Correction, all four Cass County School corporations, the Cass County Suicide prevention organization and many other organizations and individuals.

“Together we have built a great relationship and work very closely to meet our goals,” he said.

Franklin said the purpose of the SOFR team is to meet and review every drug-related death and suicide death in Cass County, to share information and ideas on how to educate people of the dangers and prevention, and to encourage people who are suffering from addiction and mental health issues to seek help. Cass County is one of only 35 counties that provide this, he said.