About us.
The East Idaho Coroner Coalition (EICC) is a community and professional coalition committed to strengthening medicolegal death investigations across Eastern Idaho. We believe every family deserves dignity, clarity, and consistency when a death occurs, and that every investigation should be performed and documented to a professional standard no matter what county someone lives in. Our work is guided by five supporting pillars: commitment, respect, compassion, dignity, and integrity. These values shape how we serve families, partner with agencies, and advocate for higher standards across the region.
We invite citizens, coroners and medicolegal death investigators, law enforcement, EMS and fire, healthcare partners, victim advocates, attorneys, elected officials, and community leaders to join us in building a stronger, more consistent regional system. Our overall goal is to improve outcomes through clear standards, better training, consistent investigative practices, and improved access to forensic pathology resources, ensuring Eastern Idaho can deliver timely, credible, and compassionate death investigations for every community.
Founding Members: Starting in 2022, a small group of East Idaho coroners became increasingly frustrated by the gap between nationally recognized medicolegal death investigation standards and what Idaho’s current county-based system is able to deliver. As they compared expectations for training, documentation, oversight, and forensic pathology access to national best practices, it became clear that the issue was structural. Without consistent standards, reliable resources, and stable funding, even competent and motivated leaders are forced to operate within a system that makes consistency difficult and outcomes uneven.
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From that reality, the early momentum for what became the East Idaho Coroner Coalition grew through the work of Bingham County Coroner Jimmy Roberts, Madison County Coroner Dr. Sam Butikofer, and Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez. They recognized that meaningful improvement requires stronger regional collaboration and that basic certification expectations are essential for lasting change. Their efforts have also been reinforced by the Office of Performance Evaluations (OPE) report, which highlighted statewide weaknesses in oversight, standards, and support, confirming that Idaho’s coroner system needs modernization to better serve families and communities.
James (Jimmy) Roberts
In 2004 my father was the victim of a homicide near Idaho City and although that was tragic for our family in many ways, discovering the flawed system of death investigation was almost more disheartening. Finding out that there are many Coroners who are not experienced, knowledgeable or educated in medicolegal death investigation motivated me for over since 2004 to take programs at some of the most respected schools in our country and even traveling abroad to learn how it’s done in Europe. My goal is to make certain that every person who this office takes care of in the course of our duties is treated with respect, dignity, compassion, and the highest level of professionalism possible. I retired from 30+ years in emergency services working as a Firefighter/Paramedic, training officer, quality assurance officer, grant writer, and liaison to many government agencies, I graduated from the Plymouth Police Academy in 2013 and I also served with US Navy Reserve as a corpsman assigned to the United States Marine Corps. In 2018, I have an Associate’s Degree in Arts, and have attended Medicolegal Death Investigation certificate programs with the St. Louis School of Medicine, The University of North Dakota, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Forensic Anthropology Center), and have done working internships with the Netherlands National Polite Forensic Division. I currently sit on the Following boards; Coroner representative to the Idaho Association of Counties Board of Directors, Fort Hall Zero Suicide Coalition, Community Suicide Prevention, Idaho State Association of County Coroners Board of Directors, and I am the first Bingham County Coroner to be a certified “Diplomat American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator” (D-ABMDI). The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators is the national gold standard for death investigator certification. I am proud to be able to serve the residents and visitors of Bingham County as the Coroner
Shante Sanchez
Shante Sanchez has always had a passion for the complexities of forensics, mental health and death investigation. Having moved to Idaho when she was in high school, Shante has been an active and devoted member in the community for over a decade and hopes to serve with compassion, empathy and understanding of the impact of Idaho’s unique qualities.
After graduating at Idaho State University with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, she embarked on a journey to achieve the upmost level of understanding of the abnormal mind and criminological experiences. She received her Masters of Science in Forensic Psychology from Arizona State University in 2020 with an Emphasis in Investigative Criminology and a Specialization in Severe Mental Illness and Violent Crime.
In addition to her entrepreneurial and academic achievements, she spent multiple years in mental health intervention as a case manager, skills training coordinator, behavioral interventionist for juveniles and administrator for various mental health agencies. After developing a deeper understanding of the impact of mental illness, she realized the importance of mental health services, victimology services and continued crisis intervention in the community.
Shante received her Medicolegal Death Investigation certification through the University of North Dakota. She also is actively working towards her American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator(ABMDI), a nationally recognized achievement. Shante is a devoted mother of two rambunctious boys, professional business owner and dedicated community member. She is proud to serve the residents of Bonneville County and bring peace, closure and dignity to those that have passed.
Dr. Sam Butikofer
Dr. Sam Butikofer serves as the Coroner for Madison County, Idaho, where he brings a strong blend of clinical experience, academic training, and community-focused leadership to the role. He graduated from BYU Idaho with bachelor's degrees in health science and public health, followed by a bachelor's degree in health education from Idaho State University. He continued his graduate studies at Western Governors University, earning both a bachelor's and a master's degree in nursing, and later completed a doctorate in nursing from the University of Utah.
Dr. Butikofer’s professional background includes years of service as an emergency room nurse, where he gained firsthand experience in acute care and crisis response. He also spent several years working as a sales representative for Merck, gaining insight into medical systems, communication, and public health outreach. In 2013, he joined the Department of Nursing faculty at BYU Idaho, contributing to the education and mentorship of future healthcare professionals.
In 2019, he accepted the position of Madison County Coroner. Since that time, he has focused on strengthening the quality and consistency of medicolegal death investigations, improving interagency collaboration, and increasing public understanding of the coroner’s role. Known for his professionalism, integrity, and thoughtful approach to complex cases, Dr. Butikofer has become a respected voice in regional discussions about advancing Idaho’s medicolegal death investigation system.
Flint Christensen
Flint Christensen embodies a blend of dedicated service, entrepreneurial spirit, and a deep commitment to his community. Flint embarked on his academic journey with a strong foundation in higher education with a degree from Central Texas College, a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho, and a master’s degree from Boise State University. His academic pursuits reflect his dedication to continuous learning and professional growth. Flint’s career is marked by a distinguished tenure as a combat veteran, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. His military service honed his skills in leadership, resilience, and tactical problemsolving, which he later applied to various fields. Alongside his military experience, Flint has accumulated 18 years of commercial driving experience and extensive knowledge in logistics, showcasing his versatility and commitment to operational excellence. In addition to his professional achievements, Flint completed specialized training at the Death Investigation Academy and MDI Course Certification from UND This training equipped him with the critical skills necessary for his current role as Chief Deputy Coroner for Bingham County. In this capacity, Flint proudly serves the community, overseeing death investigations with a dedication to accuracy, compassion, and justice. Flint’s entrepreneurial spirit is evident in his ownership and operation of the FlintRock Retreat in Shelley, Idaho. The retreat is a testament to his vision and ability to create meaningful spaces that benefit the local community. Beyond his professional and entrepreneurial endeavors, Flint is a devoted father of four. His family is central to his life, and he balances his career and business ventures with his commitment to being an engaged and supportive parent. Flint Christensen’s journey reflects a life of service, leadership, and entrepreneurship. As Chief Deputy Coroner, he continues to make a positive impact on his community, driven by a deep sense of duty and pride in serving the needs of those around him.
Call
208-650-9247