FAQs & Fees

Illinois law requires that the Coroner’s Office investigate any death of a sudden, violent, or suspicious nature. Generally speaking, any death that occurs outside of a hospital setting, or within 24 hours of admission to the hospital, requires notification of the Coroner’s Office.

The principal responsibility of the Coroner is to assure that a death did not occur as the result of foul play. To help determine the manner and cause of death, the investigator may employ a variety of investigative techniques including interviews with family members and physicians, scene analysis and photography, and physical examination of the decedent. Oftentimes, these aspects of the investigation will provide the information needed to close the death investigation. It is possible that the family physician will be allowed to certify the death certificate. Sometimes, family members feel as if they are under suspicion or are being asked overly personal questions. The investigation is meant to bring forth enough information to explain why your loved one died. What may seem like very personal or trivial information to you may be a wealth of knowledge for us. Please remember that it is our job to speak for the dead and assure that justice prevails among men and society.

That depends on a number of factors. Age, medical history, and the circumstances surrounding the death are the major considerations. The Coroner’s Office may defer an autopsy if enough facts concerning the events leading up to the death are known, verified, and supported by pre- existing medical conditions. Deaths involving the possibility of criminal activity, children, and those in good health prior to death will most likely be autopsied. Likewise, deaths in which the scene investigation suggests an external event (electrocution, drowning, overdose, etc.) will probably undergo autopsy.

We realize that this is a very personal and sensitive matter and some people object to an autopsy. Illinois law REQUIRES the Coroner to perform autopsy examination in certain cases such as child deaths. In other cases, autopsies are necessary for us to perform a competent investigation and Illinois law recognizes that the Coroner must have the authority to order an autopsy despite family objections. If you object to an autopsy for personal or religious reasons, we will discuss the issue and attempt to resolve the matter in a way that will provide you with peace of mind but still allow a thorough inquiry. Regrettably though, there are cases that we feel mandate an autopsy regardless of your wishes.

If you have concerns that you feel can only be addressed by autopsy, please tell us as soon as possible. The information may cause us to authorize the procedure. Sometimes, family members desire an autopsy to reveal the presence of any hereditary related diseases or for their own personal knowledge. If this is the case, but the death falls outside our criteria for autopsy examination, we will assist you in securing the services of a pathologist for a private autopsy. In this case, you would be responsible for the costs of the procedure.

We have other scientific tests that we utilize alone or in conjunction with autopsy examination to aid our investigation. It is fairly routine for blood and other body fluids, to be collected and sent for alcohol and drug screening. In fact, State law requires such tests in motor vehicle deaths. Other tests may include blood cultures to determine infections or x-rays to detect the presence of fractures.

In addition to being a tragic and emotional personal event, death is also a profound legal event bringing about the possibilities of court action, the processing of insurance claims, and the settlement of estates. Positive identification of the decedent, accomplished by the examination of circumstantial and scientific evidence, is a necessary prerequisite for the fulfillment of this legal event. In cases where the remains are disfigured, decomposed, or burned, advanced identification processes involving fingerprint recovery, DNA analysis, or dental comparison may be necessary to identify the deceased with scientific certainty. These tests may require days or weeks to process and delay final disposition of the decedent. Undoubtedly, this delay is emotionally troubling and difficult to bear, but is absolutely essential to the investigation and subsequent certification of death.

This is a routine and standard practice. The medication provides a “quick reference” to the types of diseases the deceased suffered. Additionally, if further blood tests are performed, the laboratory may need the actual medications to help interpret the results. As federal law prohibits possession of medications by anyone other than the person to whom it was prescribed, the medications will not be returned. They will be destroyed at the conclusion of the investigation.

Most often they will be transferred to the authorized next-of-kin immediately. Otherwise, you should receive them after the body is released from the Coroner’s Office to the funeral home or after the Coroner’s Inquest. If the items become evidence in a criminal case, the State’s Attorney’s Office will decide when the items may be released to the next-of-kin.

If you have not already done so, you will need to select a funeral home for arrangements after the preliminary investigation and/or autopsy are completed. Also, locating important documents such as insurance policies and veteran’s papers may be useful. You will undoubtedly have more questions than this brochure will answer. It’s very important to write your questions down for later reference. Coroner’s staff will try to answer those questions or refer you to the person or agency that can.

A death certificate may be available within 48 hours if the deceased has been under a doctor’s care. In the event of a complex death investigation requiring a Coroner’s Inquest, the process may be delayed several weeks, but a temporary certificate will be issued to allow the funeral to be carried out. We strive to process cases as expeditiously as possible, but a competent death investigation requires time with attention to detail.

The Coroner’s Office DOES NOT maintain the death certificates. This task is performed by the County Registrar designated for the area of the county where the death occurred. The Saline County Clerk in Harrisburg is ultimately responsible for maintaining death certificates for anyone who dies in Saline County.
Your best course of action is to obtain the certificates through the funeral home that was responsible for arrangements.

Coroner’s records and reports will be available after the death certificate is issued. Illinois law requires that fees be charged for the various reports and records requested. A written request is required to obtain the documents.

For further information or to obtain an order form and the fee schedule, please call the Coroner’s Office, Monday – Friday, from 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

If you have further questions or concerns, please contact your case investigator.