Coroner

The County Coroner is called when a person dies in any county in which a coroner is required by state law and there are reasonable grounds to believe that such person died as a result of:

• Violence by homicide, suicide, or accident.
• Some unforeseen sudden occurrence and the deceased had not been attended by a physician during the thirty-six hour period preceding the death.
• Any unusual or suspicious manner.
• Any injury or illness while in the custody of the law or while an inmate in a public institution.

Other duties of the office include, but are not limited to:

• Referral of a child’s death (under the age of eighteen) to a child fatality review panel.
• Convening a Coroner’s Inquest to have a jury determine the cause of death of a person when, in the opinion of the coroner, it would be in the public interest to do so.
• Performing the duties of sheriff when office is vacant.

Chapter 58 of Missouri Revised Statutes contains a complete description of the duties of the County Coroner.