Opinion No. 119-81 (1981)

Dear Senator Doctorian:

This letter is in answer to your request which reads as follows:

"Missouri Statute clearly identifies what a coroner must do if he is notified that a person died of violence or casualty (58.260). It does not identify exactly when a coroner should be asked to investigate a death."

Section 58.260, RSMo 1978, reads as follows:

"Every coroner, so soon as he shall be notified of the dead body of any person, supposed to have come to his death by violence or casualty, being found within his county, shall make out his warrant, directed to the sheriff of the county where the dead…