Role of the Coroner

 

Missouri law requires the Coroner's Office to investigate any death of a sudden, violent, or suspicious nature. Generally speaking, any death that occurs outside of a hospital setting or within 24 hours of admission to the hospital requires notification of the Coroner's Office.  This includes deaths within a nursing home and in-home hospice patients. The principal responsibility of the Coroner is to ensure that a death did not occur as the result of foul play. Additionally, the coroner investigators are responsible for identifying the deceased positively. This can be from visual identification or the use of scientific methods.  

To help determine the manner and cause of death, the investigator may employ a variety of investigative techniques, including interviews with family members and physicians, scene analysis and photography, and physical examination of the decedent. Oftentimes, these aspects of the investigation will provide the information needed to close the death investigation. It is possible that the family physician will be allowed to certify the death certificate.

Sometimes, family members feel as if they are under suspicion or are being asked overly personal questions. The investigation is meant to bring forth enough information to explain why your loved one died. What may seem like very personal or trivial information to you may be a wealth of knowledge for us. Please remember that it is our job to speak for the dead and ensure that justice prevails among men and society.

Coroner investigators are not law enforcement but work alongside law enforcement while conducting an independent investigation. Both agencies have distinct roles when it comes to investigating a death.  When it is determined that no crime has been committed, the law enforcement involvement is complete. However, the Coroner's role continues until a cause and manner of death has been determined.