Lake County Coroner’s Office Investigation of a Death

Notes from a recent presentation I did to discuss how much work goes on with (and it is by no means all-inclusive):

Lake County Coroner’s Office Investigation of a Death

The Call:
The On Call Deputy receives the call of a Death
General Information about the Deceased if available (may take several calls)

The Scene:
Collection of Evidence, Photodocumentation
Collection of Personal Property and Physical Evidence (Chain of Custody)
The Body
Preliminary Drug testing (Urine draw)
Interviewing of Witnesses and Family

Types of Scenes (many are “Messy”):
Train Tracks
Highways and Byways
Homes
Burned Homes
Fields and Streams
“Scary” Homes (see above)
Hospital
Nursing Home

“Bad Scenes”:
Trains
The Decomposed
Fire
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Gun Shot Wounds
Infants

Making Identification:
Wallet Content
Live Scan, fingerprinting
Forensic Odontology, Forensic Anthropologist
DNA Sampling

Notification:
Find Next of Kin (can take quite a bit of work)
Notify of death
Discuss Office Procedures and Protocols affecting the Decedent
Get support for family if necessary (brochures and website references)

X-Rays

Autopsy:
Procedure itself, Assisting Pathologist
Photodocumentation
Collection of Evidence
Toxicology from blood urine, vitreous, bile, liver, brain (rarely maggots)

Paperwork:
Call Sheet, Data Sheet, Narrative, Call Log, Personal Notes
Temporary Death Certificate, Permanent Death Certificate
Police Report, EMS Report
Medical Records reviewed
Toxicology Report
Fingerprints
Autopsy Report
Verdict Sheet
Letters to Family

Case Conferences:
Presenting Case Investigation Details
Deciding Manner of Death
Closing Case and Final Death Certificate

Community Outreach:
Pre-Prom Demonstrations
Career Fairs
Office Tours
Driver’s Ed
Science & Health Classes at High Schools and Colleges

Parents Groups
Suicide Prevention Task Force
Child Death Review Team

Nursing Home Death Repoprting Pilot Project

Key “Partners” we work with:
Law Enforcement Agencies, Fire Departments, MEG (local Durg "Enforcement" Groups)
Major Crimes Task Force and Major Crash Accident Team
NCIS
OSHA
CPSC
DCFS
DEA
FBI
FAA, NTSB
Hospitals
AFIS, LEADS