Following the post-mortem examination or autopsy, the investigator will contact the legal next of kin with the preliminary findings. If the cause of death cannot be determined immediately (requiring further investigation and/or studies), the death certificate may be signed as "pending". Once cause and manner of death have been determined, the legal next of kin will be notified. At this time, an amended certified death certificate listing the final cause and manner may be obtained either through your funeral home or the local Register of Deeds Office.

The first thing you need to do is take care of yourself. A lot of information will be shared with you, and you will need to make several decisions. The following is a suggested list to help guide you and your family through this process.

• If you are family member or friend that needs to report a death, please call 911 immediately
• Select a funeral home to assist you in making funeral arrangements and complete the necessary paperwork to coordinate the final disposition of your loved one’s remains. The funeral home’s director will make arrangements to pick up and transport your loved one’s remains back to the funeral home.
• Once you have chosen a funeral home, please notify our office to provide us with that information. We understand that many families will contact and/or meet with several funeral homes before finalizing their decision. Therefore, to avoid any confusion and ensure your loved one is transported to the funeral home of your choosing, we need to confirm your selection with you directly.
• When notified of a loved one’s death, involve your family, friends, and clergy for support and comfort. They will be able to assist you in making sense of this tragic and sometimes sudden news.
• Consult your support system and decide if tissue donation is something you want to consider. Ask your Medical Examiner as soon as possible if you would like more information.
• Start a file to organize all business cards, paperwork, and information that will be shared with you as a result of your loved one’s death.
• Finally, remember to check in on yourself. Stress can come into your life quickly and unexpectedly. Do not be afraid to use resources available to you in your community.

The Medical Examiner’s Office does everything possible to complete examinations and release decedents within the shortest period possible. In the majority of cases, decedents are examined and released within 24 hours. Since autopsies are not routinely performed on weekends or holidays, releases involving such periods may be delayed slightly.

During special circumstances, such as homicide or suspicious deaths, or when positive identification needs to be confirmed, there will be a delay in releasing the decedent until all testing can be completed and/or positive identification is established.

To inquire about a death investigation, you may contact our office at 715-261-1199. Our normal business hours are Monday-Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. If you have questions outside of these hours, please call our dispatch line at 715-261-7792 and they will page an investigator for you. You must provide your name, the name of the deceased, the date of death (actual or approximate), and your relationship to the deceased.

Keep in mind that, while we do our best to keep families informed, we may not be able to answer all questions if the investigation is incomplete or if release of the information would compromise an active criminal investigation. We can also only release information to the legal next-of-kin.