Coroner’s Office

Mission Statement:

The Jefferson County Coroner’s office is committed to serving the people of Jefferson county with integrity, professionalism, and compassion. Our mission is to determine the cause and manner of death in a thorough, unbiased, and scientific manner while treating the deceased and their loved ones with dignity and respect. Through collaboration with law enforcement, medical professionals and forensic experts, we strive to provide accurate and timely investigations that support public safety, justice, and public health. We are dedicated to transparency, continuous learning, and upholding the highest ethical standards in our pursuit of the truth.

Duties of the Coroner:

The duty of the Coroner is to determine the cause and manner of death, and to determine whether or not there is sufficient reason for the Coroner to believe that any such death may have resulted from criminal acts or criminal neglect of persons other than the deceased.

16 P.S.C.A. 1218-B: Coroner’s Investigation:

1. A sudden death not caused by a readily recognizable disease or, if the cause of death cannot be certified, by a physician on the basis of prior recent medical attendance.
2. A death occurring under suspicious circumstances, including if alcohol, a drug or another toxic substance may have had a bearing on the outcome.
3. A death occurring as a result of violence or trauma, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal or accidental, including, but not limited to, a death due to mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical or radiational injury, drowning, cave-in or subsidence.
4. A death in which trauma, chemical injury, drug overdose or reaction to a drug or medication or medical treatment was a primary or secondary, direct or indirect, contributory, aggravating or precipitating cause of death.
5. A perioperative death in which the death is not readily explainable on the basis of prior disease.
6. A death in which the body is unidentified or unclaimed.
7. A death known or suspected to be due to contagious disease and constituting a public hazard.
8. A death occurring in prison or a penal institution or while in custody of the police.
9. A death of an individual whose body is to be cremated, buried at sea or otherwise disposed of so as to be unavailable for examination thereafter.
10. A sudden unexplained infant death.
11. A stillbirth.