Phelps County Coroner

09/08/2026

I am totally amazed by the comments of our previous post regarding the incident that occurred in June. There is nothing more than what we commented on, there is nothing hidden or suspicious. We did not give all the details, just what was pertinent in explaining the case. Yes, immigration status was important, as it speaks to the frame of mind of the deceased and their decisions that led to this tragedy only. It was not included with the intent of malice or prejudice. The length and difficulty of the investigation involved many things- 5 Autopsies including toxicology, the length of time for them to come back (“normal” case takes 6 to 8 weeks- this was not normal). The painstaking task of ensuring each disposition was handled appropriately and respectfully to return the decedents to their families in their country of origin. We are trying to be transparent in all we do. This page was created for the soul purpose of being transparent and prior to my tenure in office, the coroner did not release information to the public. Just understand that we will give all information as soon as possible, the intimate details in some cases will not be shared for decency and respect .
Thanks!
Ernie Coverdell Coroner

09/07/2026

The investigation of the tragedy that took place on June 19th 2026, in Rolla, Missouri is complete. The deceased have been returned to their homeland, all five of the individuals were in this country illegally, we will not give any more information on names out of respect for the families. The deceased ranged in ages- a 21 YO male, 31 YO male, 2- 43 YO males, and a 18 YO female. All the deceased died as the result of high levels of Carbon monoxide poisoning. The investigation revealed that during the night of June 18th, at some point the owner of the vehicle was in the garage listening to music on the car stereo and inadvertently went to bed leaving the car running. His room was in the lower level of the apartment and was the first victim to succumb to the carbon monoxide poisoning. As the night progressed into the early morning hours, all the rest of the victims also died, with exception of one survivor that was farthest from the garage with his door closed, vent in his room closed, and his window open. This victim’s level of carbon monoxide was extremely high, and he was life flighted to a trauma center for immediate care. All of the other residents succumbed to the poisoning, and were pronounced dead at the scene. There were carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors and motion detectors in the apartment but were all disabled by the tenants, (based on the results of the investigation), in which we believe by the evidence, that they felt were too invasive to their privacy. This, combined with the fact that they were not able to smell the Carbon monoxide, and with the state of confusion due to the poisoning causing them frustration from the noise being projected from the units.
This was a completely avoidable tragedy.
The hearts of all investigators involved, not only goes out to the families, but the victims as well. We thank you, the public, for your patience in getting this information out. Our hope is that you understand the hours of work it took to come to the final synopsis and conclusion and the difficulty in obtaining information to complete a full investigation. Please stay safe in all you do!

Phelps County Coroner's Office

08/31/2026

08/18/2026

This office will proudly be part of the (MACDI) Missouri Association of Coroners and Death Investigators for the training and new vision they are bringing to this profession

06/29/2026

On June 19th, this office responded to 11942 Village Circle in Rolla, Missouri for 5 deceased individuals due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning. The task of identifying each individual and making notification to next of kin has presented a challenge due to the fact that three of the decedents were Honduran Nationals, one a Mexican national, and the other being Guatemalan national. I can safely say today, that all next of kin has been notified properly. Adding to this, the tedious investigation into the tragic events of that day, has also had its challenges. At this point there are still questions as to what exactly happened, and this office, along with the Phelps County Sheriff's Dept. continue to try reach a determination on the manner of death. Autopsies and toxicologies have been completed and we are waiting on those results. I know there has been a lot of rumors out about this tragic event, I can say yes, there was a car left running in the garage, which was the source of the carbon monoxide. Yes, there were 4 adult males and one adult female, these are the facts, all other information that has been put out is simply not true. Out of respect for the families involved, this office has decided not to release the names of the individuals at this time. We would like to thank all our partners in this investigation, Phelps County Sheriff’s Dept, Phelps Health Ambulance, Missouri Highway Patrol, and Rolla Rural Fire Dept. Their actions saved two victims of this tragic incident. We also greatly appreciate the Crawford County Coroner's office for their mutual aid support, and the facility to store the victims as well. At this time four of the five individuals are en route back to the country of origin. We are working diligently to make sure the final victim's disposition, and destination is achieved appropriately and expediently as possible. Please remember, they were all loved and cherished by their families and this is a very tragic event in their lives. I invite you to pray with us that they find peace, understanding, and closure.

Ernie Coverdell Coroner

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06/20/2026

With the unfortunate events of yesterday, we ask that you keep all those involved in your hearts and prayers. We are working diligently to find next of kin on all the victims. There will be more information as to the unfortunate circumstances of this case at a late date, once we feel confident that we have all the precise information available to share. We want to thank Phelps County Sherrifs office, Phelps Health Ambulance, Rolla Rural Fire Dep, MSHP, and our sincere gratitude goes out to Crawford County Coroner’s office for their assistance and facilities to take the victims to. As this investigation continues we will, along with the Phelps County Sheriff's Dept, be releasing more information on these tragic events.

Thank you,
Ernie Coverdell
Phelps County Coroner

05/01/2026

Our office doingCommunity service today, participating in a Docudrama at Rolla high school trying to make kids aware of the importance of not drinking and driving

04/13/2026

Attending mandated yearly training this week to better serve the citizens of Phelps County stay safe all

03/28/2026

Please don't think for a moment that I have forgotten about A su***de prevention meeting, this year has started off very busy I am currently working on scheduling something very soon thanks for being patient !!

Ernie Coverdell Coroner

03/28/2026

Good morning all! It has been a very busy start to the year, as well as A sad one for many families recently especially, as we move into spring and then to summer people get out in all kinds of recreational venues. Please be careful in all you do! We care about our constituents and their family’s well being. We have lost several lately due to traffic fatalities, one being early this morning. Please be careful! We care!!!
Phelps County Coroners office