Core

• Perform medicolegal examinations and autopsies, conducting preliminary examinations of the body to identify victims, locate signs of trauma, and identify factors that would indicate time of death.
• Inquire into the cause, manner, and circumstances of human deaths and establish the identities of deceased persons.
• Complete death certificates, including the assignment of cause and manner of death.
• Observe and record the positions and conditions of bodies and related evidence.
• Collect and document any pertinent medical history information.
• Observe, record, and preserve any objects or personal property related to deaths, including objects such as medication containers and suicide notes.
• Complete reports and forms required to finalize cases.
• Remove or supervise removal of bodies from death scenes, using the proper equipment and supplies, and arrange for transportation to morgues.
• Interview persons present at death scenes to obtain information useful in determining the manner of death.
• Testify at inquests, hearings, and court trials.
• Provide information concerning the circumstances of death to relatives of the deceased.
• Locate and document information regarding the next of kin, including their relationship to the deceased and the status of notification attempts.
• Confer with officials of public health and law enforcement agencies to coordinate interdepartmental activities.
• Inventory personal effects recovered from bodies, such as jewelry or wallets.
• Coordinate the release of personal effects to authorized persons and facilitate the disposition of unclaimed corpses and personal effects.
• Arrange for the next of kin to be notified of deaths.
• Direct activities of workers conducting autopsies, performing pathological and toxicological analyses, and preparing documents for permanent records.