Medicolegal Death Investigator I

Job Code: 32000526
Salary Grade: MH13
Revision Date: 12/2025

Class Concept

Work in this class involves a variety of staff support activities for the pathologists in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and the statewide Medical Examiner System. Positions provide support to OCME pathologists through medicolegal death investigation and facilitate communication with law enforcement and other outside agencies. They take incoming calls reporting new cases and determine jurisdictional authority and case disposition. Positions perform death scene investigations, collect evidence from decedents, and gather reports from a variety of agencies to supplement external examinations and autopsy reports regarding the cause and manner of death. Duties involve conducting death investigations, assisting with postmortem examinations and decedent identification, arranging body transportation, receiving and releasing evidence, record keeping, and medicolegal death investigation training. Positions may also assist with emergency mass fatality events by responding to scenes on a 24/7 basis.

Recruitment Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Basic knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques required in the performance of medicolegal death investigations
• Basic knowledge of statutes, rules, policies and procedures related to medicolegal death investigations
• Basic knowledge of and ability to understand and interpret medical and forensic terminology, rules regarding evidence, and the ability to maintain a legally defensible chain of custody
• Basic knowledge and awareness of various hazards associated with possible scene investigations, including physical, chemical, biological hazards and exposure
• Ability to obtain and record the information needed for the adequate evaluation of death of medicolegal significance, analyze facts and data, reach logical conclusions, and make sound recommendations
• Ability to clearly communicate to conduct interviews and investigations, testify in court if necessary to explain and defend findings, deal tactfully with the public, and maintain effective working relationships with investigatory agencies

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in science (biology, chemistry, nursing, anthropology, forensic sciences, biochemistry, or related sciences field), or criminal justice from an appropriately accredited institution and two years of medicolegal death investigation experience or specialized (e.g., unidentified decedent, etc.) experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.