Dr. Douglas Eliason, DO CPE
County Medical Examiner
Biography:
Dr. Eliason is a practicing family physician and retired army colonel with 30 years of military service and military medical experience. He has served as the physician Medical Examiner for Marion County since July of 2017. He also has interest in disaster preparedness, community health and population medicine. Dr. Eliasion sees the importance of giving back to the community and takes time to teach patients and mentor future medical students.
Specialty: Family Practice Medicine
Board Certification: American Board of Family Medicine
Medical Education and Training: Undergraduate degree (University of Iowa), Medical school (University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, Iowa)
Charles Funrue
Chief Medical-Legal Investigator
Biography:
Charles Funrue is a Medical Legal Investigator from Salem, Oregon. Charles has served the Willamette Valley for 25 years as a Paramedic. He graduated Chemeketa Community College with his degree in Emergency Medical Services. Charles also has college education in criminal justice, constitutional law, psychology, and forensics. Charles has a passion for investigation and has brought his experience to serve the people of Marion County to find the truth and facts involving the deceased. In doing so, he hopes to bring answers and closure to families and friends left behind.
Charles lives in Salem with his wife and three children.
Nick Zell
Medical-Legal Investigator
Biography:
I have been with Marion County since May of 2018. I hold a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in forensic anthropology from Boston University. I have been a certified medicolegal investigator since 2013. Prior to moving to Oregon, I worked for 6 years in the Colorado Coroner system as an Investigative Intern and later as a Deputy Coroner. I obtained Diplomate certification from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI) in 2015 and Fellow certification in 2024. I spent several years as part-time adjunct professor teaching forensics and anthropology at Metropolitan State University in Denver. During this time I also worked as a forensic analyst with the MSUD Human Identification Laboratory.
My job is not always easy, but it has always been a very rewarding career. I strive every day to give a voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves, for even in death they have stories to tell us. Finding clues to understand how they lived and died allows me to provide answers to those they left behind. Ultimately, this is the best part of my job. Every day provides a new experience, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to serve this community.
Penny Wilkinson
Medical-Legal Investigator
Biography:
Penny Wilkinson's background includes several years of law enforcement within corrections, patrol, and crime scene investigation. She holds a bachelor's degree in Investigative Forensics from the University of Maryland-Global Campus. She is currently certified as an Oregon Medicolegal Death Investigator and is in the process of obtaining her national certification from the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.
In her free time Penny enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and baking. She also loves spending time with her fur children: a cat named Winnie, and two Miniature Australian Shepherds: Rusty and Willow.
"This career certainly has its challenges, however, I'm grateful to be a part this program serving the citizens of Marion County. Through our investigations, we do much more than determining the cause and manner of death; we strive to provide compassion and respect for those families who are suffering from the loss of a loved one. I look forward to consistently growing and expanding my knowledge as an investigator in this field."
Nicole Brooks
Medical-Legal Investigator
Biography:
Nicole Brooks is originally from San Diego, California. She has several years of law enforcement experience including working in a crime lab, being a police dispatcher, and interning in a district attorney's office. She also has experience working in the autopsy room as a technician and has been a medical technician for a memory care facility. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master's degree in medicolegal death investigation from Syracuse University.
Nicole enjoys spending her free time going on hikes with her dog, being outdoors, traveling abroad, and trying new things.
"I am drawn to having a career in death investigation not only because of the science, but also the humanity behind the science. I am passionate about serving my community and supporting those who have experienced the loss of a loved one."
Bob Jung
Medical-Legal Investigator
Biography:
Robert Jung attended Chemeketa Community College graduating in 1976 with an Associate of Science degree in Fire Protection Technology. He worked for Marion County Fire District #1 from 1976 to 2009, retiring as the Assistant Chief of the department. He immediately started working for the Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office as an investigator. He is certified from the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office as a Medicolegal Death Investigator. He has three grown children and four granddaughters.
Lisa Lewis
Medical-Legal Investigator
Biography:
Lisa Lewis is an experienced Medical Legal Death Investigator for Marion County. She is also a seasoned Registered Nurse who works in a busy Intensive Care Unit in the community with advanced credentialing in Critical Care and Trauma. She is a valued member the ICU team by acting as a Charge Nurse as well as a member of the hospital's Rapid Response Team.
Lisa enjoys serving her community and the marriage of the medical AND legal aspect of death investigation, assisting law enforcement with determining the cause and manner of death while creating a sense of closure for the families. Having been an RN for nearly 25 years, gaining experience with the legal aspect of this job has been invigorating.
Prior to her industrious nursing career, Lisa was a dancer and choreographer and performed and traveled with a troupe in Los Angeles for several years. Lisa continues to enjoy many different venues of dancing for recreation.
Lisa also competed with a local women's roller derby league enjoying the camaraderie, physicality and athleticism aspect of the sport.
It's an honor to serve my community in this position, thank you!