§ 23-4-11. Effects and property of deceased.
An agent of the office of state medical examiners, as the case may be, may take into
his or her possession all articles and property of the deceased on or about the body
and shall deliver them to the office of the chief medical examiner if an autopsy or
postmortem examination is ordered, but shall otherwise deliver them to a member of
the family taking a receipt for them. Provided, however, any letter, note, or any
other written instrument, the contents of which relate to the manner or cause of the
death of the deceased, shall be permanently retained in the files of the office. If
an autopsy i
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§ 23-4-11. Effects and property of deceased.
An agent of the office of state medical examiners, as the case may be, may take into
his or her possession all articles and property of the deceased on or about the body
and shall deliver them to the office of the chief medical examiner if an autopsy or
postmortem examination is ordered, but shall otherwise deliver them to a member of
the family taking a receipt for them. Provided, however, any letter, note, or any
other written instrument, the contents of which relate to the manner or cause of the
death of the deceased, shall be permanently retained in the files of the office. If
an autopsy is ordered, the chief medical examiner shall upon completion of the investigation
deliver all other articles or property to a member of the family of the deceased taking
a receipt from that family member and, if any dispute exists among members of the
family, he or she shall hold the other articles or property for the executor or administrator
of the estate of the deceased when appointed. In the event that death shall have occurred
in a hotel or other public place where possessions of the deceased may be lying, an
agent of the office of state medical examiners shall make suitable arrangements for
the protection of the property.