Coroner accused of leaving body in hot SUV overnight, lawsuit says

MORGAN COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) – A coroner in Kentucky is accused of leaving a body inside a hot car instead of properly placing it in a freezer.

A new lawsuit accuses former Morgan County coroner Raymond Vancleave of mishandling and abusing the corpse of Nathan Peyton.

Peyton died Dec. 30 of last year. His brother, Basill Peyton, said he saw his brother’s body in good condition.

But a couple of days later, the lawsuit says that the day was “unseasonably warm,” and the coroner left the body in a body bag inside a hot vehicle overnight.

The lawsuit says that the coroner’s actions affected funeral services for Nathan Peyton.

“When they buried him, he had to remain in the body bag. Closed casket,” Basill Peyton said. “People actually got sick from the odor that was emanating from the casket.”

Instead of saying a proper goodbye to their loved one, the family was left wondering how this could have happened.

It’s a question Basill Peyton wants answered to ensure no one else has to endure what he says happened to his brother.

Vancleave has since resigned from his position as coroner.

Former Morgan County Judge-Executive John Stacy and multiple magistrates are also named in the lawsuit. It claims they should have known of Vancleave’s negligent and reckless behavior.

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