Coroner

To report a death please contact the 911 Dispatch Center: dial 911 or non-emergency line 317-477-4400.

Responsibilities

The responsibility of the County Coroner is to determine the Cause, Manner and Time of death in cases.

Coroners investigate:

  • Homicides
  • Suicides
  • Crashes
  • Death by natural causes
  • Inmate deaths or cases in which cause of death originated while deceased was incarcerated
  • Deaths caused by diseases that may be public health threats
  • Deaths of people whose bodies are to be cremated, buried at sea, transported out of state or otherwise unavailable for pathological study
  • Deaths of transplant surgery donors that are the result of some type of trauma

The vast majority of coroner investigations are natural deaths, including situations in which there is no attending physician to sign the death certificate, sudden or unexpected deaths, or cases involving alcohol or other drugs of abuse.

The County Coroner must additionally file with the County Health Department a Death Certificate on the deaths they investigated within the County.

Further Information

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact our office.