Frequently Asked Questions

A reportable death is a death affecting the public interest, which means any death of a human being where the circumstances are sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious or unattended (see Miss. Code Ann. § 41-61-59). Reportable deaths include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

• Violent death, including homicidal, suicidal or accidental death.
• Death caused by thermal, chemical, electrical or radiation injury.
• Death related to disease thought to be virulent or contagious that may constitute a public hazard.
• Death that has occurred unexpectedly or from an unexplained cause.
• Death of a person confined in a prison, jail or correctional institution.
• Death of a person where a physician was not in attendance within thirty-six (36) hours preceding death, or in prediagnosed terminal or bedfast cases, within thirty (30) days preceding death.
• Death of a person where the body is not claimed by a relative or a friend.
• Death of a person where the identity of the deceased is unknown.
• Death of a child under the age of two (2) years where death results from an unknown cause or where the circumstances surrounding the death indicate a sudden unexplained infant death.
• Where a body is brought into this state for disposal and there is reason to believe either that the death was not investigated properly or that there is not an adequate certificate of death.
• Where a person is presented to a hospital emergency room unconscious and/or unresponsive, with cardiopulmonary resuscitative measures being performed, and dies within twenty-four (24) hours of admission without regaining consciousness or responsiveness, unless a physician was in attendance within thirty-six (36) hours preceding presentation to the hospital, or in cases in which the decedent had a prediagnosed terminal or bedfast condition, unless a physician was in attendance within thirty (30) days preceding presentation to the hospital. 
• Death that is caused by drug overdose or which is believed to be caused by drug overdose.
• Death caused by criminal abortion, including self-abortion, or abortion related to or by sexual abuse.
• When a stillborn fetus is delivered and the cause of the demise is medically believed to be from the use by the mother of any controlled substance as defined in Section 41-29-105.

An autopsy is the scientific postmortem examination of the body of a deceased person performed to determine the cause and manner of death, usually for medicolegal purposes. Autopsies are performed on decedents whose deaths affect the public interest. This postmortem examination may include the least invasive to most invasive methods based on the expertise and judgment of the forensic pathologist handling the case. Least invasive methods include, but are not limited to, external examination without the dissection of the body except that which is necessary for the procurement of blood or bodily fluids for toxicological or other analysis. Most invasive methods include, but are not limited to, dissection of the dead body and the examination of bone, tissue, organs, and foreign objects.

State law mandates that an autopsy must be performed on the following types of deaths: (1) children under the age of (2) years where death results from an unknown cause or where circumstances surrounding the death indicate a Sudden Unexplained Infant death, and (2) all persons whose deaths occur while they are confined in a prison, jail or correctional institution. However, an autopsy should be performed in the case of any death where the circumstances are sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious or unattended. An autopsy can confirm natural disease, or help reconstruct an individual’s final moments if death has resulted from physical injury. A postmortem examination and its ancillary studies can also provide information leading to the positive identification of unidentified persons.

In the state of Mississippi all medicolegal autopsies are performed at the State Medical Examiner’s Office by qualified physicians who are board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and who are certified in Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology. Our Forensic Pathologists are assisted by qualified technicians, all of whom possess bachelor degrees.    

Since the case Forensic Pathologist determines the extent of the patient’s postmortem examination and bases this decision on the facts presented and on the initial assessment, the length of time required to perform an autopsy can vary significantly. A standard autopsy can take 2 hours or longer from beginning to end (not including pre-autopsy preparation and photography). Complicated cases or traumatic deaths with multiple injuries can take much longer in order to thoroughly document all observations. All medicolegal autopsies in the state are performed at the State Medical Examiner’s Office. Patient case load and the time involved in transporting cases to and from the Medical Examiner’s Office should be considered when planning funeral services.

Family members may object to an autopsy based on religious, cultural, or other beliefs. Our Forensic Pathologists will make every effort to honor the wishes of next-of-kin, and are experienced in accommodating requests to mitigate various aspects of the procedure. However, if the physician’s duty to the citizens of Mississippi cannot be fulfilled without performing an autopsy, the family would be offered an opportunity to petition the courts before the autopsy is performed, whenever possible.   

The result of toxicological testing is often an important factor which helps the Forensic Pathologist determine cause and manner of a patient’s death. Fluids for toxicological testing are obtained from all patients transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for examination. Frequently, toxicology samples are taken from Medical Examiner Investigator cases even when the body is not sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. Toxicology samples for all medicolegal cases are analyzed by the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory, or by a private contracted laboratory. 

If no relative comes forward to claim the body, or if the family or estate is unable to bear the cost of burial, the disposition of the decedent becomes the financial and practical responsibility of the county in which the death occurred (see Miss. Code Ann. § 41-39-5). If the decedent is unidentified, the remains will be held at the State Medical Examiner’s Office until a positive identification can be made and the remains released to the next-of-kin. Under certain circumstances (i.e., body donation) the State Medical Examiner’s Office may retain custody of the remains indefinitely.

Once the postmortem examination has been completed and the family has advised the county medical examiner investigator of their wishes for final disposition, the body will be released. This is usually to the designated mortuary or funeral service or county medical examiner investigator. The State Medical Examiner’s Office will not release decedents until the county medical examiner investigator has provided us with the name of the funeral home handling the case. If our office is responsible for identifying a decedent, we will not release the body until positive identification has been confirmed..

The State Medical Examiner’s Office does not have appropriate viewing facilities. The family should contact the funeral home if they wish to view the body. If positive identification is required after the patient has arrived at our facility, forensic scientific methods will be employed to achieve the identification. If your loved one is missing, please call your local law enforcement agency for assistance.