Jason Sides will step in as County Coroner in the new year, although he has been working in the office since April, 2023. He earned the republican nomination for the position during the Aug. 8 primary and ran unopposed in the Nov. 5 election. 

He defeated Jody Hayeslip in the primary by nearly 3,000 votes and is now preparing to step in as the county coroner after serving as deputy coroner since April, 2023. 

The current coroner, Dean Jackson is a Sheriff’s Deputy in Warren County and was appointed by the county commissioners after his predecessor, Mark O’Neill, vacated the office following a cancer diagnosis. 

Along with his time in the coroner’s office, Sides’ resume includes decades of experience as a paramedic with the St. Louis Fire Department and the St. Charles County Ambulance District. 

Although he is still technically the deputy coroner, he says he has largely stepped into the role since his election. 

“I’ve taken over everything, basically in the last couple months I’ve been doing everything so I’m all tuned in,” said Sides. 

He has been in communication with nearby coroner’s offices along with medical staff, MidAmerica Transplant and local funeral homes to develop the relationships he will need when he begins serving in an official capacity. 

He also participated in budget discussions with the county commissioners and secured funding for some measures he hopes will improve the visibility of the office. 

“We’re going to get uniforms, I wanted some identity, that’s the big thing,” said Sides. 

He also plans to include statistics and frequently asked questions under a new tab on the county’s website. The coroner’s office does not currently have an online presence. 

“I’m going to have all the telephone numbers for when a family member passes,” said Sides. “What you need to do, important numbers, just frequently asked questions.”

He also noted that he will include details on the process of acquiring documents like death certificates, which he said can vary depending on whether autopsies or toxicology screens are being conducted. 

Sides said working as the full time coroner has been a step up from his time in the deputy role, and he plans to hire a replacement for his current role within the first few months of the new year. 

“There’s such a process and now I’ve gotten to the point I can do it pretty quick and that’s basically all I want to do, whenever someone asks, is get it done quick, in a timely manner,” said Sides. 

Jackson plans to step in as deputy coroner temporarily while the search is conducted for a more permanent replacement, and Sides said he had several candidates in mind. 

Sides also hopes to provide some comfort to those he answers calls for, since his office’s work usually involves times of tragedy. 

“So whenever somebody dies, I try my best to be kind of a liaison and just be there for the family. It’s the worst time of their life typically,” said Sides. “And I just stay there with them, if time permits, which it usually does, and stay there the whole time with them til the family member is transported.”