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ANT 211
Fundamentals of Forensic Anthropology
Role of the Forensic Anthropologist in the Forensic Sciences
(page 2 of 7)
I. Search and Recovery of Remains
A. The system: Who is involved
1. Medical Examiners (ME's) or Coroners: These people are in charge of handling all procedures surrounding the discovery, recovery, and examination of unknown remains. Because the laws in each state vary, some states have medical examiners while others may still use the coroner system, an older system. Some states like Florida have multiple medical examiners, with a chief ME heading each district. Other states such as North Carolina have one chief ME, with assistant or associate ME's in various counties. Coroners tend to be local.
Compare and contrast ME's and coroners:
| Medical Examiner | Coroner |
| ME's are MD's (medical doctors) | Coroners are elected officials |
| has medical training, and usually has completed a formal residency in forensic pathology | not required to have medical training. If the coroner is not a medical doctor, there should be a forensic pathologist to consult |
| perform autopsies and sign death certificates | pronounce people dead and sign death certificates |
Jurisdiction over remains almost always* belongs to the Medical Examiner or Coroner.
*Exceptions include cases involving military personnel on or off-base: