Who can I speak to about a death investigation?
To inquire about a death investigation, you may contact the Office at 262-335-4460 at any time. You must provide your name, the name of the deceased and your relationship to the deceased. If you call outside of our normal business hours, please leave a message and we will return your call the following business day.
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.
Is it necessary that I identify the body at the Medical Examiner’s Office?
Only in rare instances do we require family members to come to our facility to make a visual identification (for example, when the remains are those of an unidentified person or when the identification has not been previously confirmed).
The Washington County MEO does not allow the viewing of bodies at the Office in any other situation. Since the funeral home is the more appropriate setting for the viewing of remains, we ask families and friends to be patient and allow us to complete our examination, so that the body can be quickly released to the funeral home of their choice.
How can I find out about the cause of death?
Following the post-mortem examination of a decedent’s body, the Deputy Medical Examiner will contact the legal next of kin with preliminary findings (if they wish to be notified). If the cause of death cannot be determined immediately (requiring further investigation and/or studies), we will sign the death certificate with cause of death as "pending" to allow time to gather the additional information needed. We will contact the next of kin to provide cause of death once the necessary testing and analysis is complete. We will also update the death certificate with the final cause and manner of death information at that time.
How can I retrieve my loved one’s personal possessions?
All personal property that is received with the decedent’s body is released to the funeral home chosen by the legal next of kin, with the exception of items that are retained by law enforcement or the Washington County Medical Examiner's Office for evidentiary purposes. A property release form is signed by the person transporting the decedent’s body for the funeral home.
When will my loved one’s body be released?
The Washington County Medical Examiner's Office does everything possible to complete examinations and release bodies within the shortest period possible. In the majority of cases, bodies are examined and released within 24 hours. Weekends and holidays may slightly extend this timeframe.
How long does it take to get the results of the postmortem examination / investigation?
In many cases the cause of death is evident at the time of autopsy. In these cases the death certificate is completed immediately. In other cases, the cause of death may require additional studies, and therefore, additional time. Many of these studies require processing and analysis of specimens by consulting laboratories, whose turn-around times are not controlled by the Washington County Medical Examiner's Office.
As one might suspect, all death investigations are different, and determining the cause and manner of death may require a great number of steps, each requiring time to complete---the time needed to complete some of these steps may not be under the control of our office. We greatly appreciate the patience of families and friends in these matters as we try to provide accurate and complete answers.
How can I get a copy of the death certificate?
Once the death certificate is completed, it is the responsibility of the funeral home to file the document with the WI State Office of Vital Statistics. Only the funeral home or the Office of Vital Statistics can issue copies of these documents. In addition, if the death occured some time ago, a copy can be obtained from the Register of Deeds, and a fee may be assessed.
Can a “pending” death certificate be used as proof of death?
Yes. A death certificate, even a pending certificate, is a legal document which serves as proof that the named individual has been pronounced dead..
What if the funeral is being held out of state?
When a funeral and burial is to be held in another state, the family should contact the funeral director of their choice in that state. That funeral director will then take charge of making arrangements for the transport of the decedent’s body by contacting a local funeral director. The family should notify the out of state funeral director that the deceased’s death is being investigated by our office.
What is a cremation permit?
By law, all bodies to be cremated must be reported to the Medical Examiner’s Office. No cremation may be carried out, by law, for at least 48 hours after the pronounced time of death. All cremations require a signed cremation permit from the Medical Examiner’s Office before proceeding.
Once you have decided to have the decedent’s body cremated, your funeral director will notify our office of your wishes. A deputy medical examiner will respond to the funeral home and perform an external examination of the body, if an examination has not already been performed by the office. Cremation examinations are one of the many functions of the Washington County Medical Examiner's Office and are performed on ALL cremations, whether or not the death falls under the jurisdiction of the Medical Examiner’s office. Following this examination, a cremation permit is issued to the funeral home, allowing them to proceed, and a fee for this service is charged to the funeral home.
Where can I get more information?