Page 79 - CFDI Guide

Certified Forensic Death Investigator (CFDI) Program
Dean A. Beers, CLI, CCDI, CFDI-Expert and Karen S. Beers, BSW, CCDI, CFDI-SME
Associates in Forensic Investigations, LLC
Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council (CDITC) Accredited

may also be actual time of death, i.e. witnessed hospital death. This pronouncement may also be when the
decedent was found, i.e. lost kayaker found several days to months or even years later.

The following deaths require notification to the coroner, as well as an investigation. The investigation may

be via medical records or a scene response and possibly an autopsy. This will be dependent on the

jurisdictional statute, scene and death circumstances, and protocol of the coroner’s office. Any one of the
following constitutes a “coroner’s”case:
▪ Any sudden, unexpected death:

▪ All suspected homicides
▪ All suspected suicides

▪ All suspected accidents
▪ Any death occurring “in custody”

▪ Skeletal remains

▪ Any child death
▪ Any person who dies within 24 hours of hospital or nursing home admission

Note – death penalty executions are considered both homicides and in-custody deaths, an autopsy is
often required by statute.

The cases that fall within the coroner’s case, but do not require a scene response or autopsy, are often

referred to as ‘Reportable’ cases, which may or may not require a scene response and/or autopsy. In most
jurisdictions the prosecuting attorney must also be notified and consulted regarding an investigation and/or

autopsy, as well as to determine if the circumstances are consistent with giving rise to potential criminal
charges. After such investigation and consultation, the coroner may request that jurisdiction of any such

death be transferred to the coroner of the county or jurisdiction in which the underlying event, which
resulted in the death of the person, occurred. As an example, a motor vehicle collision may have occurred

on Any County Rd 1 and the decedent ejected into Other County Rd 2; or having the incident occurred in
Any County and persons transported to a regional trauma center in Other County, where death occurred.

These deaths would be transferred to the jurisdiction of the underlying incident and the investigation
following to that jurisdiction. For the jurisdiction bearing the place of death and transferring jurisdiction,

this is a ‘Reportable’ death, as they will not conduct any further investigation or autopsy.

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