Just 11 states, including Utah, have a statewide medical examiner instead of a version of a local elected coroner to lead death investigations. Sometimes, that elected official has little or no investigative or medical experience.

Utah’s office has a dozen highly trained forensic pathology experts and a number of trained and certified medical investigators, as well. The office is accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners.

Here are three key points:

• The Office of the Medical Examiner in Utah has unique features, including emphasis on data collection, bolstering tissue recovery and helping bereaved families.
• The office has jurisdiction over about 35% of Utah deaths in a given year. In 2023, it investigated nearly 8,000 deaths.
• The investigations help figure out and label cause of death, but also manner of death, which could be accident, homicide, suicide, natural or undetermined.

Eleven forensic pathologists are all board certified physicians, many with different specialties, including neurological pathologists and a pediatric pathologist. A forensic pathology fellow is completing his fellowship at the U. of U. Medical School. The investigators are also board certified.

"Our level of training and experience is pretty unparalleled," Dr. Deirdre Amaro, Utah's chief medical examiner, said. 

Read more about the Utah medical examiner office and the unique services it provides. 

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