Medicolegal Death Investigator

What Success Looks Like In This Job

The Medicolegal Death Investigator /Deputy Coroner is primarily responsible for the investigation of unexpected, unnatural, and/or unexplained deaths that fall under the jurisdiction of the Office. The Office of the Coroner is governed by state law and is responsible for investigating unexpected, unexplained, and/or unnatural deaths that occur within, or are related to incidents occurring within, Adams and Broomfield Counties. The Office serves a total of ten municipalities and one town, and covers a geographic area of approximately 1,200 square miles.

The Office receives approximately 5,000 reported deaths per year. Each death investigator handles approximately 500 reported deaths per year and responds to approximately 300 death scenes per year. The Office’s primary responsibilities are to conduct death investigations with the purpose of ascertaining the cause and manner of death of individuals that die under the jurisdiction of the office; establish the identity of the deceased;

and notify the decedent’s legal next‑of‑kin that his/her death has occurred. Work is characterized by independent planning and decision making, logical reasoning, and problem solving. Investigator must possess good communication and time management skills, take initiative, exercise good judgment, pay strict attention to detail, be able to multi‑task, follow directives, and adhere to policies, procedures, and standards of practice. Investigator must be able to work efficiently independently and collectively, delegate appropriately, work with frequent interruptions, and effectively handle emergency/crisis situations.

Work involves a variety of sensitive and confidential material. The ideal candidate is organized, self‑motivated, adaptable, detail oriented, mature, dedicated, and able to work under heightened emotional situations and unpleasant conditions. The Investigator is a representative of the Office of the Coroner and is involved in a myriad of interpersonal contacts. Such contacts require a high degree of interpersonal communication skills, professionalism, tact, and etiquette.

Environmental Demands:
The investigator spends approximately 70% of the time in an office environment and approximately 30% of the time in a field environment with associated conditions and hazards. The job involves exposure to and direct interaction with malodors, decomposed bodies, contagious diseases, vermin, and other hazards, as well as traumatic deaths, such as child and elder abuse/neglect cases, mass fatalities, violent homicides, motor vehicle fatalities, and mutilated and severed remains.

The Coroner’s Office employees are ineligible for flexible work schedules and remote/hybrid work options due to the nature of our work.

The following duty statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other non‑essential or marginal duties that may be required. The omission of specific duties does not necessarily exclude them from the position requirements. The Chief Coroner reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of the job at any time.

Working under the general supervision of the Deputy Chief Coroner and Medicolegal Death Investigator Supervisor, the Medicolegal Death Investigator:

• Gathers, reviews, and/or interprets a variety of written documents, independently or at the direction of executive staff. Documents include, but are not limited to: scene reports, medical/ psychological records, legal documents, police/EMS records, toxicology records, and autopsy reports.

• Writes comprehensive case reports.

• Establishes jurisdiction of death cases and responds to death scenes. May pronounce the death, and take custody of the deceased.

• Conducts thorough death scene investigations, including photographing the death scene and the decedent, and conducting interviews.

• Determines investigative technique, scope, timing, and direction of investigations.

• Coordinates with law enforcement agencies in the preservation and collection of evidence, maintenance of chain‑of‑custody, and processing of the death scene.

• Identifies the…