Baldwin County Coroner Brian Pierce to Take Questions at Robertsdale Library Lunch & Learn

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — What really happens when the coroner’s office gets a call? Baldwin County Coroner Dr. Brian Pierce will pull back the curtain on that question and take whatever else residents want to ask during a free Lunch & Learn at the Robertsdale Public Library on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Pierce will be the guest speaker for the noon program, sharing information about the work of the Baldwin County Coroner’s Office. The program will include an open question-and-answer session, giving guests a chance to ask the questions they have always wanted to ask about the office.

Lunch included, RSVP required

The event is free and includes a lunch of chili and hot dogs. Seating is limited, so an RSVP is required. To reserve a seat, contact the Robertsdale Public Library, located at 18301 Pennsylvania St. in Robertsdale.

What does a coroner do?

Many people know the word “coroner” mostly from television crime dramas, and the reality of the job is often misunderstood. In Alabama, the coroner is an elected county official. The coroner’s office is responsible for investigating deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent or unattended, and for determining the cause and manner of death.

The Baldwin County Coroner’s Office describes its mission as accurately determining the cause and manner of death so that law enforcement has the information it needs and families can find closure. The office also emphasizes supporting grieving families after a loss and maintaining cooperative, professional relationships with community partners.

The cause of death is the specific injury or disease that led to a death. The manner of death is a broader classification, generally recorded as natural, accident, suicide, homicide or undetermined. Those findings appear on death certificates and can matter for criminal investigations, insurance claims, estate matters and public health tracking.

Coroners do not perform every autopsy themselves. In Alabama, forensic autopsies are generally conducted by the state Department of Forensic Sciences, and the coroner’s investigators work alongside law enforcement, medical providers and forensic pathologists to piece together what happened.

A growing workload in a growing county

Baldwin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Alabama, and the coroner’s office has grown with it. Pierce has described the agency’s transformation from a single-coroner operation into a full agency with a command staff, full-time certified death investigators and trained deputy coroners who provide on-call coverage. He has said the restructuring was intended in part to ease burnout among staff, and that he hopes to expand family outreach, training and forensic and investigative services.

Figures released by the office earlier this year illustrate the scope of the work. In fiscal year 2025:

• 642 cases required a coroner’s investigation, compared with 685 in 2024 and 562 in 2023.
• The office worked with 17 agencies and handled 190 death investigations with no law enforcement involvement.
• The office recorded 45 gunshot wound deaths, 36 overdose deaths and 34 blunt force trauma deaths.
• Fentanyl was involved in 48% of the overdose deaths.
• Of the blunt force trauma deaths, 24 resulted from motor vehicle crashes, six from falls and four from assaults.
• There were 47 confirmed suicides, above the decade average.

The office also maintains a one-hour response time across the county, a significant commitment in a county that stretches from the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in the north to the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in the south.

Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about someone who is, can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time.

Questions residents might bring

The open format leaves the floor to the audience. Attendees might ask about topics such as:

• When a death must be reported to the coroner
• How investigators work with law enforcement at a scene
• How and when families are notified
• How cause and manner of death are determined
• How the office handles unidentified remains
• What families should expect in the days after a death investigation

Library programming in Robertsdale

The Lunch & Learn is part of a busy fall calendar at the Robertsdale Public Library, which is also planning a Halloween Fun Night with trunk-or-treat, a hayride and prizes on Oct. 27. Public libraries across Baldwin County have increasingly offered programs that connect residents with local officials and experts, giving people a chance to ask questions in an informal setting.

If you go

• What: Lunch & Learn with Baldwin County Coroner Dr. Brian Pierce
• When: Noon, Tuesday, Oct. 20
• Where: Robertsdale Public Library, 18301 Pennsylvania St., Robertsdale
• Cost: Free; lunch of chili and hot dogs provided
• RSVP: Required; seating is limited. Contact the Robertsdale Public Library.