After members of Broomfield’s City Council questioned whether there was a conflict of interest in Adams County Coroner’s Office handling of the death investigation of Elijah McClain, the coroner’s office informed officials they will stop providing services beginning Jan. 1.

“The majority of your Council expressed a clear lack of confidence in my Office, based solely on media reports, assumptions and speculation,” Adams County Coroner Monica Broncucia-Jordan wrote in a letter obtained by KDVR FOX31.

“I have elected not to renew the Broomfield Coroner Services (intergovernmental agreement) for the year 2021.”

Broomfield’s Mayor Pat Quinn told The Denver Gazette he received the letter midday Wednesday and was left speechless.

“It surprised me that (the letter) was so abrupt,” Quinn said.

Broncucia-Jordan’s office has been providing services to Broomfield since 2001. If the office refuses services, the county will be without a coroner, which “would not be good,” Quinn said. 

The letter written by Broncucia-Jordan came six-days after the city council unanimously voted to renew the contract, which expires on Jan. 1, 2021.

At the council meeting, Councilman Deven Shaff raised questions regarding the way the cause of McClain’s death was deemed “undetermined” by the coroner’s office.

“If there was a potential conflict of interest regarding this case, whether there was a meeting between (the person) who performed the autopsy and the coroner … and whether or not there was a meeting between the coroner’s office and the Aurora Police Department before or during the autopsy, and perhaps a meeting before the autopsy report was finalized,” Shaff said during the council’s special meeting on Dec. 10. 

Council members Laurie Anderson, Stan Jezierski, Heidi Henkle and Guyleen Castriotta said they agreed with Shaff’s sentiment, but said they would vote in favor of renewing the contract since the county needed a coroner for the upcoming year. 

The death of McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, made national headlines after Aurora Police put him in a chokehold and administered ketamine before his death.

Quinn and Councilwoman Elizabeth Law-Evans opposed raising questions about Broncucia-Jordan during the Dec. 10 meeting, citing multiple ongoing investigations into the incident.

“I really hesitate to dive into specific details as a body of this unfortunate tragedy, but quite frankly we don’t have anything to do with (the incident,” Law-Evans said. 

City staff agreed to analyze whether there would be a cost benefit to switching services to either Boulder or Jefferson counties coroner’s offices, or establishing a local one. 

“If we want to instigate from a fiscal and operation standpoint other alternative ideas, I think that’s a fine idea for 2022,” Law-Evans said. 

Despite the letter delievered to Broomfield’s mayor and the 12 city council members, Quinn hopes to continue conversations with Broncucia-Jordan and get this issue resolved.

“I’m trying to reach out to her and let her know that I understand her frustration over our process, and so my hope is that we can have some conversations about transitions, or whatever the case maybe,” Quinn said.