If the Medical Examiner’s Office has ordered an autopsy, the office is responsible for its cost.

If the Medical Examiner’s Office determines that an autopsy is not necessary, however the family would still like to have one performed, it would be the legal next of kin’s responsibility to arrange the autopsy, transportation, and assume financial responsibility.

There is no guarantee that a pathologist would be willing to conduct the autopsy. For your convenience, we've listed two options for a private pay autopsy below.

• University of Wisconsin Pathology Department - Call Jodi at 608-263-8899 Monday-Friday to schedule.
• Midwest Anatomic Pathology Services (MAPS) - Call 920-214-2014

In some cases, the cause of death is evident at the time of autopsy or during the initial investigation and the death certificate is completed immediately. In other cases, the cause of death may require additional studies and therefore, additional time.

Many studies require the processing and analysis of specimens by consulting laboratories and forensic autopsy providers, whose turn-around times are not controlled by the Medical Examiner’s Office. Forensic toxicology analysis generally takes 3-6 weeks for the results. Autopsy results are generally available in 2-3 months, depending on whether toxicology or additional testing was performed. At times, the autopsy results may take longer if genetic or specialized testing is conducted.

Finally, the death investigation may be prolonged if additional investigation is required by law enforcement, which happens in special circumstances, such as a homicide investigation or motor vehicle crash involving numerous vehicles.

We greatly appreciate the patience of families and friends as we work try to provide accurate and complete answers as soon as practical.

The Medical Examiner’s Office will consider the facts of each case individually and decide what level of investigation/examination is necessary to determine the cause and manner of death and to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death. In many cases, this requires the performance of an autopsy. Autopsies are routinely performed on non-natural deaths such as homicides, suicides, accidents, and undetermined deaths. They are also conducted on natural deaths where the cause is unclear.

However, not all death investigations require an autopsy. Many times, the circumstances surrounding a death, in addition to the decedent’s medical history, is enough to determine the cause and manner of death without an autopsy.

An autopsy is a complete physical examination, internal as well as external, conducted on the decedent in a professional and dignified manner by a pathologist. The pathologist looks for and documents the presence of injuries and pre-existing natural disease. During the autopsy, samples of various organs, tissue, and body fluids are retained for additional studies, if needed. Some of the additional testing may include the following:

• Toxicology: evaluation of body fluids to determine the presence of alcohol, drugs, medications, or other toxic substances

• Histology: the study of tissue, organs, and cells under a microscope to identify disease processes

• Microbiology: cultures of certain areas within the body to determine the presence of bacteria, fungus, or viruses

In certain cases, items of evidentiary value are collected, such as trace evidence, bullets, hair, fingernail clippings, sexual assault swabs, or other foreign objects. The findings of the examination, and any known medical history, are combined with scene investigation to determine cause and manner of death.

In Marathon County, all autopsies are conducted by a board-certified forensic pathologist at either the Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner’s Office or University of Wisconsin Madison Pathology Department.