Where will my relative/friend be taken?
He/She will be taken to the Coroner’s facility for an autopsy, or to be held until the attending physician can be contacted.
Is it necessary for me to come to the coroner’s office to identify the body?
No, visual identification is not required. Should it become necessary, our office will require x-ray or dental records. Our staff may contact you to obtain information regarding any doctor or dentist who may have the necessary material.
Is viewing allowed?
No. The Coroner’s facility is not designed to accommodate viewing. Arrangements can be made at the funeral home for viewing.
How long will it take before my relative/friend is released from your office?
Generally it should not take more than a day or two. Your Funeral Director will coordinate the release on your behalf.
Why is the coroner involved?
The Ohio Revised Code states, “When any person dies as a result of criminal or other violent means, by casualty, by suicide, or in suspicious or unusual manner, or when any person, including a child under two years of age, dies suddenly when in apparent good health, the physician called in attendance, or any member of an ambulance service, emergency squad, or law enforcement agency who obtains knowledge thereof arising from his duties, shall immediately notify the office of the coroner of the known facts concerning the time, place, manner, and circumstances of the death, and any other information which is required pursuant to sections 313.01 to 313.22 of the Revised Code.
Will an autopsy be performed?
The Coroner will decide if an autopsy is necessary to establish the cause and circumstances of death. We may not perform an autopsy if the cause of death can be determined to be from “natural causes”.
What about tissue/organ donation?
The Coroner reserves the right to approve or disapprove the removal of any organ in Coroner cases, which may create conflict with the legal responsibility of the Coroner. Such permission will be decided on an individual case basis.
My relative/friend was in the military. Who can I contact for information?
Persons who have served in the Armed Forces, were honorably discharged, and meet other service requirements are entitled to a Veteran’s burial. For information on Fraternal Society, Military, Veteran’s, or Social Security benefits contact your funeral director.
What should I do now?
As soon as possible, select a funeral home and inform the funeral director that the death is being handled by the Clermont County Coroner’s Office. Ask them to please notify us. Our office does not select funeral homes nor do we make arrangements. In the event someone is making the arrangements for the family, the Coroner must be provided with written authorization to release the deceased, signed by the legal next of kin. Should he/she reside at a distant location, they may contact us for a faxed copy of our release form and he/she may send a fax directly to our office. Should the next of kin be local, this release can be signed at the funeral home. The funeral home will then bring or fax the form to us for our release. In the event someone is making the arrangements for the next of kin, the Coroner’s office must be provided with a written authorization, signed by the next of kin, to release any and all information to that person.
How and when can personal possessions be claimed?
Any personal possessions in the custody of the coroner may be claimed by the legal next of kin. Governmental documents (driver’s license, passports, military identification cards) will not be released. These documents will be returned to the issuing agency for disposition. To avoid any inconvenience to you, call the Coroner’s Office at 513-732-8117 before coming into the office. The Coroner’s Office staff will advise you if any documents will be needed and of any other requirements. The Coroner’s Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. The office is closed on weekends and holidays.
Sometimes personal possessions are taken into custody by other law enforcement agencies at their request. You will need to deal with those agencies to recover personal possessions in their custody.
Clothing is not usually considered property. Unless there is a need to hold clothing as evidence, it is released to the funeral home recovering the deceased. Clothing that presents a health hazard may be disposed of for the safety of all persons involved.
In certain deaths where firearms are involved, pursuant to section 313.141 of the Revised Code, the firearms must be delivered to the proper authority for disposition or destruction.
I need to enter my relative/friend’s residence, but it is sealed. What do I do?
In order to enter you need to call the law enforcement agency. If you do not know what agency is involved, contact our office and we will assist you.
When will I be notified of the results of the autopsy?
The Coroner’s Office will contact the legal next of kin when we receive the results. You need to make sure we are able to get in touch with you.
How long does it take to get the final report?
When the cause of death has been determined, an autopsy report may take as long as twelve weeks. However, if the cause of death is pending, due to toxicology testing, it may take as long as sixteen weeks. We will notify the legal next of kin about the results.
Will the autopsy reports be available?
Yes. You may obtain a copy by calling the Coroner’s Office at 513-732-8117, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. At that time, you will be informed of the cost of this service and how this document or any Coroner’s record can be obtained.
Is there a charge for the autopsy?
No, the county takes care of all charges.
Where can I obtain a copy of the death certificate?
Death Certificates are filed with Clermont County Public Health by your Funeral Director. Should you require certified copies, they can be ordered through your funeral home or they may be purchased from Clermont County Public Health, at 2275 Bauer Road, Batavia, Ohio 45103, 513-732-7499. You may visit www.ccphohio.org and download a Death Certificate Application Form.
There are no funds for burial. What can I do?
If the deceased or the legal next of kin do not have sufficient funds for burial, the alternative may be Township/Village disposition. In these circumstances, proof of indigence is required. The legal next of kin should contact the Coroner’s Office at 513-732-8117 and additional information will be made available. If Township/Village disposition is authorized, there may be substantial delays in receiving death certificates and as a consequence, certain benefits. Should funds or assets later be discovered, the Township/Village reserves the right to recover on those funds or assets.