Former Hancock County coroner Jim Faulk dies in Georgia

Former Hancock County coroner Jim Faulk has died of complications from cancer in Georgia.

Faulk was 75 and was surrounded by family when he died on April 5.

He was elected to three terms as Hancock County coroner but resigned in 2021, saying he had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment in and out of the state.

His resignation from office came after the Office of the State Medical Examiner suspected Faulk’s certification.

The office said Faulk had alleged “potential failure to comply” with mandatory reporting requirements of the Department of Child Protective Services on child deaths and to the Bureau of Narcotics on overdose deaths.

This year, a state grand jury indicted Faulk on various felony charges, including embezzlement, making false representations to defraud the government, and one count of alteration of records.