Medical Examiner

Pursuant to Wisconsin State Statute 979.01, the Medical Examiner's Office is required to investigate deaths that fall into the following categories:

• All deaths in which there are unexplained, unusual or suspicious circumstances.
• Homicides
• Suicides
• Maternal deaths following abortion.
• Deaths due to poisoning, whether homicidal, suicidal or accidental.
• Deaths following accidents, whether the injury is or is not the primary cause of death.
• When there was no physician or accredited practitioner in attendance within 30 days preceding death.
• When a physician refuses to sign or is unable to sign the death certificate.
• Deaths of inmates of public institutions, who have not been hospitalized for organic illness.
• Deaths that occur in association with, or as a result of diagnostic, therapeutic, or anesthetic procedures.
• Deaths due to neglect.
• Fetus of 20 weeks or older, unattended by a physician or practitioner.
• Sudden deaths of persons not disabled by recognizable disease processes, in which a fracture of a major bone (femur, humerus, or tibia) has occurred within the past six months.
• Deaths occurring outside of a hospital or nursing home, and not enrolled in a palliative care program under the care of a physician.
• Occupational related deaths attributable entirely or in part to external work place factors.
• Sudden and unexpected deaths occuring in infants or children under the age of 2, under circumstances not explained by a pre-existing medical problem.

An autopsy will be performed when there is a need to establish or confirm a cause and manner of death for the purpose of issuing a death certificate, in cases involving criminal or suspected criminal wrongdoing, and in any case in which an autopsy is considered to be prudent at the Medical Examiner's discretion.

The Medical Examiner's Office is not designed to accommodate viewing. Arrangements can be made at the funeral home for viewing.

Starting in 2010, a charge of $153 will be assessed for each body transported to the Medical Examiner's office by our transport service.  There is no fee for the autopsy and the resultant medical opinion regarding cause and manner of death. One copy of the investigator's report, autopsy report, and toxicology report ( when applicable) will be made available to the nearest next-of-kin at no cost, once the case is closed. There is a per page charge for all subsequent requests. Please see the Medical Examiner's website for the form used to requests reports, or call the office.  Additional fees may apply - see below fee schedule.

Select a funeral home and advise the funeral director of the involvement of the Medical Examiner's Office. Funeral directors are familiar with the operation of our office, and will assist you in making all arrangements for final disposition, including obtaining the death certificate. The funeral director will also pick up the decedent's personal property that is not being held as evidence. Often the deceased will be released the next day from our facility.

The death certificate should be completed within five to six days of notification of the death. The death certification is given to the Medical Examiner's Office by the funeral home for completion so it is important that a funeral home be selected. Arrangements to obtain certified copies of the death certificate are handled for the family by the funeral home.

Note: On occasion, an exact cause or manner of death is not immediately determined following an autopsy or investigation. Special laboratory tests or further investigation may be necessary. As a result, there are occasions when a death certificate may not be available for eight to 10 weeks, or longer. In those situations, a pending death certificate will be filed within 10 to 12 days of death, and later replaced with an amended death certificate once the cause and/or manner of death has been established.

The burial assitnace program is seperate from the Medical Examiner's Office and is supported and funded through the Department of Health & Human Services with Milwaukee County. The guidelines for the Milwaukee County Burial Assistance Program are as follows:

Eligibility Requirements

The Milwaukee County applicant does not meet the "Wisconsin Funeral and Cemetery Aids Program" state guidelines. The indigent decedent must have been a Milwaukee County resident for the past 60 days. The decedent and/or spouse must meet the program's income and asset guidelines. The funeral and burial costs cannot exceed $2,500 (funeral) and $1,500 (burial) respectively.

Application Process

The designated requestor of assistance (next of kin/ "arranger") must have completed both the funeral and burial or cremation arrangements prior to completing the application. The designated requester of assistance (next of kin/ "arranger") must bring the following:

• Signed funeral and burial or cremation agreements.
• Verification of residency (current utility bills, rent receipt and/or other date stamped mail)

Program Assistance

If the decedent is found to be eligible for assistance, a voucher is provided to the funeral home, cemetery or crematory. The amount of assistance depends on the type of service selected.

• Funeral & Burial
  Milwaukee County shall pay up to a maximum amount of $400 as the combined cost for both funeral and cemetery charges ($200 respectively), if the decedent is deemed eligible.
• Funeral & Cremation
  Milwaukee County shall pay up to a maximum amount of $400 as the combined cost for both funeral and cremation charges, ($200 respectively), if the decedent is deemed eligible. 

For more information about the program call the Milwaukee County Burial Clerk at (414) 289-6714