Please accept our sincere sympathy on the loss of your loved one. Here is some important information to get started:
- Gather family and friends for support.
- Know that your loved one has been transported to the secured facility of the Coroner. While at our facility, the Coroner and her team will review all the facts of the death, which may include past medical records, police reports and family statements. A formal examination of the body will take place and a decision will be made whether an autopsy will be performed.
- Contact a funeral home of your choice to begin the funeral arrangement process. The funeral home will then make the necessary arrangements to pick up and properly prepare the body when released by the Coroner.
- Be available to speak with the Coroner’s investigator. They will contact you following the examination. You may be asked to provide additional information regarding your loved one’s medical history or circumstances of the death. You will be notified of when the body can be released to the funeral home.
- Receive personal property from the funeral home after the body is released to them. This typically includes clothing, wedding bands , other jewelry, cell phones, purses, wallets, etc. that were collected by the Coroner's Office. Some items may be retained by law enforcement for further investigation.
- Wait patiently for results. The responsibility of the Coroner's Office is to determine the cause and manner of death as soon as possible. Some causes of death are identified right away while other causes may take 12 weeks or more to investigate. The Coroner's Office will contact the family after autopsy to discuss the preliminary findings. The Coroner's Office will notify the family when the final cause of death has been ruled. A Death Certificate will then be completed and available through the Health Department. Other written reports by the Coroner will be processed over the 12-week period and released upon written request through the Coroner's Office.
- Call the Coroner’s Office with any questions. Your call is always welcome.