your voice matters

We, the undersigned individuals comprising residents, professionals, and concerned parties from South Carolina and beyond submit this petition in light of ongoing public concerns regarding the conduct, competence, and accountability of Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard of Horry County. Whether through professional engagement, investigative scrutiny, or moral concern for the proper handling of deaths and the rights of grieving families, we assert a collective interest in ensuring transparency, integrity, and lawful standards in all death investigations conducted under county authority.

This petition is submitted pursuant to South Carolina statutory authority governing public officer conduct, including §1-3-240 of the South Carolina Code of Laws (Removal of Officers by the Governor for misconduct, persistent neglect of duty, or incompetency).

I. Grounds for Petition

1. Mishandling of High-Profile Death Investigations

In the 2021 death of paralyzed motivational speaker Chris Skinner, Deputy Coroner Tamara
Willard ruled the death an accidental drowning, despite a number of suspicious circumstances and available evidence that strongly suggested otherwise. Most notably, Willard admitted she never reviewed the video surveillance footage, footage that ultimately prompted the reopening
of the investigation. She also conducted no independent interviews of key witnesses or family members.

Willard’s original conclusion was based solely on police reports, which contained inconsistencies and conflicting narratives, rather than on a comprehensive forensic or investigative review. By relying exclusively on those reports without verifying or challenging their contents, Willard failed  to meet the standards of an independent medicolegal death
investigation.

Although the case has since been reopened following public pressure and the emergence of new video evidence, Willard has not issued a correction, retraction, or update to her original ruling. As of this filing, the cause and manner of death remain listed as accidental, despite substantial grounds to suggest suicide, coerced suicide, or foul play may have occurred.

Even more troubling, in both public statements and recorded police interviews, Willard placed blame for the reopening of the case on Chris Skinner’s family despite the fact that she herself initiated contact with them to discuss re-examining the death. This contradiction reflects not only a lack of accountability, but also an effort to shift responsibility away from her office and onto grieving relatives.

Her handling of the Skinner investigation has not only failed to produce answers through real investigative techniques; it actively subjected the decedent’s family to public ridicule, harassment, and abuse. By placing them in harm’s way rather than defending the integrity of the investigative process, Willard abandoned the basic ethical obligations of her office. 

Willard’s conduct in this matter—her refusal to correct a flawed ruling, her lack of investigative rigor, her misrepresentation of events, and her failure to protect the dignity of a grieving family reflects a profound breach of professional, moral, and ethical standards expected of a public official entrusted with the authority to speak for the dead.

2. Chain-of-Custody and Evidence Integrity Violations

In the September 2023 shooting death of Scott Spivey, Deputy Coroner Willard authorized the transport of Spivey’s body in his own vehicle from the scene to the Horry County Police impound facility due to weather concerns. The body was left inside the vehicle for approximately six hours in late-summer heat before it was removed. According to medical examiners, rigor mortis had set in, and Spivey’s face was visibly discolored from pressing against the center console, a strong indication that the body had not been moved or examined in a timely manner.

This highly irregular handling raises critical questions about scene preservation, chain of custody, and compliance with professional death scene protocols. Willard’s decision has damaged public confidence in the credibility and competence of the Coroner's Office and suggests a pattern of decision-making that prioritizes convenience over integrity.

3. Failure to Maintain Transparent Public Communication

Multiple cases under Willard's oversight—including unidentified decedents, child fatalities, and reclassified homicides—have been marked by inconsistent public disclosures, contradictory cause-of-death statements, and delayed or incomplete updates to families and the media. In many of these cases, Willard’s office failed to issue timely or complete statements, leaving families and the public in a state of confusion and frustration. These communication gaps have become a recurring issue that reflects poorly on the professionalism and reliability of her office.

4. Supervisory Lapses and Staffing Oversight Failures

Willard served in a leadership capacity during the tenure of Deputy Coroner Chris Dontell, who remained employed until his 2020 arrest for murder. While Willard participated in his suspension and termination once law enforcement intervened, the timing and seriousness of Dontell’s
conduct have raised reasonable concerns about internal screening, workplace oversight, and leadership accountability under Willard’s tenure.

II. Legal and Ethical Violations

Under S.C. Code Ann. § 1-3-240(C)(1), a county officer may be removed by the Governor for:
● Incompetency
● Misconduct
● Persistent neglect of duty

Additionally, South Carolina coroners are expected to adhere to minimum professional standards under the SC Coroners Training Advisory Committee and DHEC regulatory oversight. Willard’s repeated procedural inconsistencies, communication failures, and poor decision-making in critical cases conflict with those professional and statutory standards.

III. Relief Requested

We hereby request:

1. A formal investigation by the South Carolina Governor’s Office, Coroners Training Advisory Committee, and State Ethics Commission into the conduct and decision-making practices of Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard;

2. Temporary administrative suspension during the course of the investigation;

3. Permanent removal from office if findings support misconduct, neglect, or incompetence;

4. A broader audit of all cases managed by Willard involving child fatalities, suspicious deaths ruled accidental, or bodies handled outside chain-of-custody norms.

IV. Petition Signatories
We, the undersigned, submit this petition in pursuit of justice, professional accountability, and the restoration of public trust in the Horry County Coroner’s Office.