Medical Examiner Services

The responsibilities of the Medical Examiner are complex. By state law (ARS §11-591-600), it is the responsibility of this office to determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of deaths that fall within its jurisdiction. These deaths include any suspected homicide, suicide, or accidental deaths. These also include any natural death where there is no physician to sign a death certificate or the physician is unwilling or legally prohibited from doing so. Additionally, other certain causes of death are also mandated to be investigated by the coroner.

The manner and cause of death inquiries may require reviews of medical records, interviews with family members or witnesses, and post-mortem examinations. Medical Examiners are doctors specifically trained in forensic pathology. The Medical Examiner's responsibilities include conducting autopsies, collecting evidence, bodily fluids, and tissues for toxicology testing and microscopic study. Upon completion of these tests, the Medical Examiner analyzes the results to determine the cause of death. The cause of death is used to complete the decedent's death certificate. Evidence collected during autopsies and at the scene of the death can be used for criminal prosecution and determining the cause of death. Medical Examiners are frequently called to court to testify as to the results of these examinations.

Medical Examiner responsibilities also include the identification of decedents. Identification may be as simple as matching the decedent to a driver's license or other identification documents. However, the identification process may need to utilize fingerprints, dental records, body x-rays, or DNA testing. Identifying the decedent's next of kin, notifying them of the death, and securing the decedent's personal property are additional responsibilities of this team. In deaths where the decedent died at scene, personnel is responsible for the removal and transportation of the decedent. Investigators will also obtain information from family, friends, and public safety personnel regarding the terminal episode. The Investigator serves as the eyes, ears, and hands of the Medical Examiner in the field. The Medical Examiner's Office works with numerous medical and law enforcement agencies to understand how these people lost their lives, seek justice, and bring closure to families.

The Mohave County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Serenity Memorial Group at the November 15, 2021, meeting to provide Medical Examiner services.