A coroner is an elected official who oversees death investigations, orders autopsies and lab tests, and signs death certificates. In some states, the Coroner has to be a physician, not even a forensic pathologist or even trained at all in forensics. In many states, the Coroner just has to be 18 years old and have the ability to get elected.
Medical Examiners are specially appointed officials to handle death investigations. The highest level of M.E.'s are the board-certified forensic pathologists, such as those appointed by the Florida Governor or the County Chief Executive (if the Florida County has home rule), who do all the Coroner duties PLUS autopsies, examinations, evaluations, death certificates, and courtroom testimony.
Sarasota County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Russell Vega, told Fox News Digital in an email that his office responded to the area "at the request of law enforcement."
An M.E. can be called out to the site of remains to determine if they are human or animal, or if human, to recover them for the purpose of determining cause of death, manner of death, age, race, sex, and identity.
To make a preliminary quick ID on a partly or severely decomposed body, parents or friends can identify clothing or personal items or tattoos, etc., but a positive ID still takes take after that.
Missing all this time and no one has seen, and a likely reason to feel guilty and with nothing to live for? Probably suicide and decomposed.
Clothing and personal items last longer than the body. If there is mummification, some tattoos might still be there and visible. But with severe wet decomposition, at least in Florida, there might be nothing left but bones, teeth, hair, and dental/surgical implants.
Gators are more of a problem at areas of water or the banks of such waters, not out in woods proper near the water. In addition to flies and beetles, small gnawing animals, wild hogs, and carrion animals (4-legged and winged) help the decomposition/degradation process with a body, and sometimes scatter the bones over a large area.
Sarasota County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Russell Vega, told Fox News Digital in an email that his office responded to the area "at the request of law enforcement."
If the M.E. didn't send a coroner on his behalf because there is no such thing, then no real harm done.