Request for Public Records

DEATH INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTS

A fact of death letter is a written statement attesting to the fact of death, which shall constitute proof of death for all purposes, including but not limited to any claim under any policy of insurance issued on the life of the deceased individual. The fact of death letter shall be a public record. (Fee $5.00)

A death investigation report is the work product of the coroner and is an internal document that comprehensively records the findings and all known information about the case created by both the investigative and administrative staff of the coroner's office. The death investigation report is not a public record.

A coroner's report is a document that includes the name of the decedent, address, sex, date of birth, age, and race of the decedent, date and time of death, place of death, date and time of autopsy, when applicable, and the cause and manner of death, including any scientifically contributing factors. The coroner's report is a public record. (Fee $10.00)

A post-mortem forensic medical examination report, referred to as the "autopsy report", may include an external examination only, an external examination with toxicology, toxicology only, or an autopsy with supporting laboratory evaluation. The post-mortem forensic medical examination report is a document that is the work product of the coroner that contains the name of the decedent, address, date of birth, age, sex, and race of the decedent, date and time of death, place of death, date and time of autopsy, when applicable, name of the doctor performing the autopsy and names of all persons present at the autopsy, and information regarding the autopsy, including whether the autopsy was requested or performed by operation of law, a listing of the physical findings of the autopsy, a summary in narrative form of the medical findings and conclusions, toxicology, histology, and radiology findings, when applicable, and the cause and manner of death. The post-mortem forensic medical examination report is not a public record.