Coroner Issues Rulings in Several Recent Deaths

Effingham County Coroner Duane Guffey has released information as to the manner of death in several recent cases investigated by his office.

The death of Manohar S. Gill of Fresno, California was ruled due to heat exhaustion inside the cab area of his semi. Employees of Pilot Truck Stop found the 57-year-old Gill dead inside the semi on July 3. The Effingham City Police Department assisted in the investigation.

The death of three-month-old Amelia Pierce on July 18 was ruled due to accidental asphyxiation. The infant was found unresponsive in a motel in Newton. Jasper County EMS was called to take her to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham and she was pronounced dead in the ER at 1:08am. Testimony from the investigation revealed that the baby was co-sleeping with both of her parents. The Southern Illinois Child Death Task Force, comprised of investigators from the Coroner's Office and the Illinois State Police assisted the coroner's office in the investigation, along with Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services and Newton Police Department.

The death of 48-year-old Jeffery Noble of Fulton, Missouri was due to injuries resulting from a crash on July 18 shortly after 6:30am on I-70 westbound a mile east of Altamont. Neither alcohol nor drugs were a factor in the single-vehicle rollover crash. Illinois State Police and an Illinois State Police accident reconstructionist assisted in the investigation.

Natural causes was ruled the manner of death of 53-year-old Kelly Shirley, who was found unresponsive by his roommate at his residence in Effingham on August 13. Shirley was taken to St. Anthony's ER, where he was pronounced dead at 6:28am. Drugs and alcohol were not contributing factors in his death. Effingham City Police Department assisted in the investigation.