§ 36-2-14-12.5 — Coroner requests to hospitals for blood or tissue samples

Indiana § 36-2-14-12.5

• Jurisdiction: Indiana
• Title 36: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
• Art. 2: GOVERNMENT OF COUNTIES GENERALLY
• Ch. 14: County Coroner

Text

5. (a) A coroner shall make all reasonable
attempts to promptly identify human remains, including taking the
following steps:
(1) Photograph the human remains before an autopsy is
conducted.
(2) X-ray the human remains.
(3) Photograph items found with the human remains.
(4) Fingerprint the remains, if possible.
(5) Obtain tissue, bone, or hair samples suitable for DNA typing,
if possible.
(6) Collect any other information relevant to identification efforts.
(b) A coroner may not dispose of unidentified human remains or
take any other action that will materially affect the condition of the
remains until the coroner has taken the steps described in subsection
(a).
(c) If human remains have not been identified after thirty (30) days,
the coroner or other person having custody of the remains shall request
the state police to do the following:
(1) Enter information that may assist in the identification of the
remains into:
(A) the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) data base;
and
(B) any other appropriate data base.
(2) Upload relevant DNA profiles from the remains to the missing
persons data base of the State DNA Index System (SDIS) and the
National DNA Index System (NDIS) after completion of the DNA
analysis and other procedures required for data base entry.
(d) If unidentified human remains are identified as belonging to a
missing person, the coroner shall:
(1) notify the law enforcement agency handling the missing
persons case that the missing person is deceased; and
(2) instruct the law enforcement agency to make documented
efforts to contact family members of the missing person.
(e) No person may order the cremation of unidentified human
remains.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.92-2007, SEC.6. Amended by P.L.225-2007, SEC.15.