A. All human deaths of the types listed herein shall be investigated as provided by law:

1. Violent deaths, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal, or accidental;

2. Deaths under suspicious, unusual or unnatural circumstances;

3. Deaths related to disease which might constitute a threat to public health;

4. Deaths unattended by a licensed physician for a fatal or potentially fatal illness;

5. Deaths that are medically unexpected and that occur in the course of a therapeutic procedure;

6. Deaths of any persons detained or occurring in custody of the Department of Corrections or a county jail;

7. Deaths of persons whose bodies are to be cremated, transported out of the state, donated to educational entities, to include limited portions of the body, or otherwise made ultimately unavailable for pathological study; and

8. Maternal deaths that occur during pregnancy or within one (1) year of termination of pregnancy reported by a hospital or birthing center under Section 2 of this act.

B. The Chief Medical Examiner shall state on the certificate of death of all persons whose death was caused by execution pursuant to a lawful court order that the cause of death was the execution of such order.

Historical Data

Laws 1961, SB 81, p. 605, § 8, eff. January 2, 1962; Amended by Laws 1963, SB 295, c. 302, § 2, emerg. eff. June 19, 1963; Amended by Laws 1972, HB 1401, c. 246, § 7, emerg. eff. April 7, 1972; Amended by Laws 2000, SB 1069, c. 161, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 2000; Amended by Laws 2014, c. 293, § 6, eff. November 1, 2014 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2024, HB 2152, c. 263, § 3, eff. November 1, 2024 (superseded document available).