Frequently Asked Questions

1. When must the Coroner's office be notified of a death?
2. When a person dies, where is the body taken?
3. My loved one has died and you have taken the body to the county morgue. I am the next of kin. What should I do now?
4. I'm not actually the next of kin, but I would like information about the death of a friend or relative. What information can I obtain?
5. My loved one has died and I have no money to pay a mortuary to handle the arrangements. What can I do?
6. Does every case reported to the Coroner require an autopsy?
7. What if I don't want an autopsy to be performed on my relative?
8. If an autopsy is required for my loved one, will I be charged a fee?
9. My relative died unexpectedly. Will I have to come to the morgue to identify the body?
10. I was told that I cannot visit my relative at the Coroner's office. Why?
11. I'm a student with an interest in forensics. May I attend an autopsy?
12. Are there volunteer opportunities at the Coroner's office?
13. I'm a student who needs an internship in forensics. What is available in Jefferson County?
14. I need some records from the death of my loved one. What can I obtain and how do I obtain it?
15. I am the next-of-kin and there is property at the Coroner's office that I need to pick up. How can I do that?

1.  Q: When must the Coroner's office be notified of a death?

1.  A: The Coroner's office must be notified of every death that meets any of the following criteria:

• When no physician is in attendance
• When the attending physician has not evaluated the decedent within the 30 days prior to the death
• When the attending physician is unable or unwilling to certify the cause of death
• When death occurs within 24 hours of a hospital admission
• When death occurs in an emergency room or operating room, or immediately following a medical procedure
• When death may be due to external violence
• When death is due to an unexplained cause
• When death occurs under suspicious circumstances
• When death occurs from a thermal, chemical, or radiation injury
• When death occurs from criminal abortion, including any situation where such abortion may have been self-induced
• When death occurs from a disease that may be hazardous or contagious, or which may constitute a threat to public health
• When death occurs while the decedent is in the custody of law enforcement officials or incarcerated in a public institution
• When the death was sudden and happened to a person who was in good health
  When death occurs from an industrial accident

Although most calls to the Coroner come from police agencies, hospitals and hospice organizations, any person may notify the Coroner of a death at any time of the day or night by calling 303-271-6480.

2.  Q: When a person dies, where is the body taken?

2.  A: By law, Coroner personnel must determine whether a body can be released directly to a mortuary or taken to the county morgue for further evaluation. Therefore, the Coroner's Office must be immediately notified whenever death has occurred.

If death was expected due to a long illness and if no suspicious or unusual occurrences have hastened death, the body of a person can often be released by the Coroner and taken to the mortuary by the mortuary's transport service.

3.  Q: My loved one has died and you have taken the body to the county morgue. I am the next of kin. What should I do now?

3.  A: You should select a mortuary as soon as possible. It is unlawful for us to recommend a mortuary to you.

If you are from out-of-town, you may want to contact a mortuary back home and ask them to make arrangements with a local mortuary here in metropolitan Denver.

The mortuary you select will contact our office to arrange for release of the body. The mortuary will also ask you to sign a release allowing us to transfer the care of your loved one to the mortuary you have chosen.

4.  Q: I'm not actually the next of kin, but I would like information about the death of a friend or relative. What information can I obtain?

4.  A: In general, you will be directed to the next of kin for any information about the decedent.

5.  Q: My loved one has died and I have no money to pay a mortuary to handle the arrangements. What can I do?

5.  A: If you and your family are truly indigent, you may qualify for county assistance. Call the Coroner's Office at 303-271-6480 for guidance and a referral. Only families who demonstrate significant need will qualify.

6.  Q: Does every case reported to the Coroner require an autopsy?

6.  A: No. The manner and cause of death can often be determined by an external examination of the body, reviews of past medical records, interviews with physicians and family members and minimally invasive laboratory tests. Most cases reported to the Coroner do not result in an autopsy.

7.  Q: What if I don't want an autopsy to be performed on my relative?

7.  A: The Coroner's office carefully considers the wishes of the next of kin whenever the question of whether to perform an autopsy arises. An autopsy must be performed when the manner and cause of death cannot otherwise be determined. Under Colorado statute, the final decision rests with the Coroner.

8.  Q: If an autopsy is required for my loved one, will I be charged a fee?

8.  A: No. Autopsies and laboratory testing performed by order of the Coroner are paid for by the Coroner's budget.

When an autopsy is not legally required, the next of kin may privately pay a pathologist to conduct a post-mortem examination if the Coroner determines that an autopsy is not needed.

9.  Q: My relative died unexpectedly. Will I have to come to the morgue to identify the body?

9.  A: No. Modern scientific identification techniques permit the Coroner to use means other than personal identification in virtually every case.

10.  Q: I was told that I cannot visit my relative at the Coroner's office. Why?

10.  A: Despite what we may occasionally see on television, modern Coroner's offices are generally unable to permit loved ones to visit a decedent. There are substantial concerns that visitors could contaminate trace evidence, become exposed to an infectious disease or unintentionally invade the privacy of other families.

While we understand the need to visit a loved one who has passed away, we must insist that such visits occur at the mortuary after the body has been released.

11.  Q: I'm a student with an interest in forensics. May I attend an autopsy?

11.  A: Sorry, no.

12.  Q: Are there volunteer opportunities at the Coroner's office?

12.  A: We often receive gracious and civic-minded offers to provide volunteer services for the Office of the Coroner. We regret that we cannot accept these offers because we lack the staff to supervise volunteer workers.

13.  Q: I'm a student who needs an internship in forensics. What is available in Jefferson County?

13.  A: Internships are almost never available in the Office of the Coroner, and we must generally ask students to look elsewhere. Most internship opportunities in metropolitan Denver are reserved for students in the Metropolitan State College training program.

14.  Q: I need some records from the death of my loved one. What can I obtain and how do I obtain it?

14.  A: In Colorado, death certificates are obtained from the state or local health departments, not the Coroner's office. If death occurred in Jefferson County, you may call the Vital Statistics Office of the Jefferson County Health Department at 303-271-6452.

Under Colorado law, autopsy reports are generally matters of public record. If an autopsy was conducted by our office, you may contact us at 303-271-6480 to discuss when the report will be available and how you may obtain it.

Most other records cannot be released. If you have a need for specific information, contact the Coroner's Office for assistance at 303-271-6480.

15.  Q: I am the next-of-kin and there is property at the Coroner's office that I need to pick up. How can I do that?

15.  A: The Coroner's office is open for property release Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you are unable to come to the office during those hours or if you lack transportation, call the Coroner directly at 303-271-6481.

Last Modified: Dec 23, 2009 11:21 AM