A Williamsburg County woman has filed a civil lawsuit alleging that county officials failed to properly preserve the body of her son after he was killed in 2024, resulting in severe decomposition that prevented his family from holding a customary viewing and funeral.
Debbie Cunningham filed the lawsuit in Williamsburg County Court of Common Pleas against the Williamsburg County Coroner’s Office, Williamsburg County and Coroner Ivori Henryhand in her official capacity. The complaint seeks actual, compensatory and punitive damages and requests a jury trial.
According to the complaint, Cunningham’s son, Tyrone Singletary, was murdered on May 27, 2024. After his death, his body came under the custody and control of the Williamsburg County Coroner’s Office as part of the official death investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that while Singletary’s body was in the exclusive custody of the defendants, officials failed to maintain it in a properly refrigerated environment. Cunningham claims the body was left unrefrigerated for nearly a week during late May, causing rapid decomposition and deterioration. The complaint alleges the remains were either left in an unrefrigerated transport vehicle or that officials failed to ensure proper refrigeration, temperature monitoring and custodial checks.
According to the filing, Cunningham identified her son’s body on May 28, 2024, when it had not yet decomposed beyond what would ordinarily be expected. The lawsuit alleges that by the time the body was later released, it had deteriorated to the point that it was unrecognizable, emitted an overpowering odor and could not be viewed or handled in a customary and dignified manner.
The complaint further alleges that the Coroner’s Office failed to ensure refrigeration equipment was operating, failed to timely transport the remains to appropriate refrigerated storage, and failed to implement adequate policies, supervision and documentation regarding the handling of bodies in its custody.
Cunningham contends those actions caused her severe emotional distress and deprived her family of the opportunity to conduct a proper viewing, funeral and burial. The lawsuit asserts claims of gross negligence, negligent supervision, intentional infliction of emotional distress and willful and negligent mutilation of a corpse.
In their answer filed March 23, 2026, attorneys representing Williamsburg County, the Coroner’s Office and Henryhand denied the allegations of wrongdoing. The defendants admitted that Singletary died under circumstances requiring the coroner to take possession of his body and acknowledged that Cunningham identified a body at the coroner’s facility on or about May 28, 2024. However, they denied allegations that the remains were improperly stored or that they acted negligently.
The defendants also raised numerous legal defenses, including sovereign immunity under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, comparative negligence, statute of limitations, insufficient service of process and failure to state a claim. They maintain they met the applicable standard of care and deny causing any injury to Cunningham.
Contacted for comment, Williamsburg County Supervisor Kelvin Washington said it is the county’s policy not to comment on pending litigation.
The case remains pending in Williamsburg County Court of Common Pleas, where a jury will ultimately determine whether the defendants are liable for the claims alleged in the complaint.
