Role of Coroner

Statutory Responsibilities
The Coroner's Office is a statutory office, which is mandated to establish the cause and manner of death:

• The cause of death is the injury, disease, or combination of the 2 that was responsible for initiating the train of physiological disturbances (brief or prolonged), which produced the fatal termination.
• The manner of death refers to the circumstances in which the cause of death arose (suicide, natural causes, accident, and homicide). It is often a misconception that the responsibility for determining these vital questions lies with the law enforcement agency, however, this is the responsibility of the Coroner.

The investigation of a death by the Coroner's Office is an extremely important function as it is done by an independent agency who does not work for the law enforcement agency, the physician, the nursing home, the hospital, the prosecution, or the defense, but works on behalf of the deceased to obtain the truth about their death.

Associated Responsibilities
Associated with the responsibility of determining the cause and manner of death, the Coroner has numerous other responsibilities. View all Associated Responsibilities (PDF) and clarifications.

Additional Information
For additional information or questions please contact the Coroner's Office at 719-836-4340.