Information for Families
The Medical Examiner’s Office fills a vital role with law enforcement and public health for the County of Cook.
One of our most important duties is to the families who have lost a loved one – often suddenly and unexpectedly or without warning. On top of this sudden loss, we understand that for the vast majority of people, this would be the first time they would have to work with our Office.
Whatever the circumstances, we try to work with families to help them through the process as it pertains to our Office and answer as many questions as we can. Our Investigators and clerical staff are excellent in this function, and our staff of Forensic Pathologists can help family members try to understand how the death occurred.
Jurisdiction (Why did our office get involved?)
Under Illinois law and local ordinance, the Medical Examiner is both required and empowered to determine the cause and manner of death. In general, those deaths suspected to be homicides, suicides, accidents, or sudden unexpected natural deaths are investigated by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Examination
An examination will be conducted by a Forensic Pathologist to determine the cause and manner of death, and a death certificate will be completed. This examination normally occurs within two days of our receipt of the decedent’s remains. Our forensic pathologist staff will assess whether an autopsy and/or laboratory tests are required as part of the examination.
An autopsy is a thorough examination of the body, inside and out, performed to document or rule out injuries and diseases. The procedure is performed by a medical doctor with special forensic training in recognizing the appearance of injuries and the effects of diseases. An autopsy may take 2-3 hours or longer to perform and is often followed by laboratory tests, some of which can take months to complete.
In the others, an examination of only the external surfaces of the body is performed.
Property
Personal effects (money, jewelry, wallets, etc.) belonging to the decedent is inventoried by the Medical Examiner’s Office. Property will be turned over to the funeral home retained by the legal next of kin. Unclaimed property will be held by the Medical Examiner’s Office for one year and then subject to sale by auction.
Pending Cases
After the medical examination is complete, it is sometimes necessary for us to perform further analysis, be it medical or investigative in nature, to determine the exact cause and manner of death. In this instance, a Pending Death Certificate will be issued. Disposition of a decedent may take place with this “Pending” death certificate. Once the Pathologist has determined the final cause of death, our office will notify the family and funeral home. At this point the funeral home can obtain certified copies of the final death certificate for the family.
A Certification of Death letter can be obtained by coming to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Medical Records Department. This letter is accepted by some institutions as proof of death.
Release and Final Disposition Arrangements
After the Medical Examiner’s Office has completed its examination and initial investigation, the family will be contacted to make final arrangements. We understand the unexpected death of a relative requires multiple decisions to be made in a short amount of time, including where to find the funds for arrangements.
The Office will hold a decedent for thirty (30) days while the family plans on final disposition of their loved one with a funeral home or crematory. There are different disposition options to consider outside of a traditional burial service such as direct cremations and whole-body donation. Funding sources can range from relatives, insurance, state funded public aid and programs, Veterans benefits, social service agencies, crowd funding or a combination. Finding the option that works best for your family and honors the decedent is paramount in this process.
Indigent Disposition Program
If the decedent is approved for release from the MEO, but a family is unable to finance the disposition within thirty (30) days of the death, then the family may apply for the Indigent Disposition Program. When applying for this program, an indigent investigation will be conducted to ensure that any available avenues for funding have been exhausted. If approved, disposition is limited to cremation with an opportunity to retrieve the cremains within a year for a fee determined by County ordinance. If the legal next of kin is unable to pay the fee and can provide documentation of financial hardship, the fee can be waived at the MEO’s discretion.
Please note the MEO can only offer assistance with the Indigent Disposition Program to the decedents examined by the MEO and cannot be extended to decedents already in the care of a funeral home or at a hospital.
If you are the legal next of kin and you are interested in more information about the Indigent Disposition Program or Indigent Cremation, please contact meofamilyservices@cookcountyil.gov.