11-600. Burial of indigent deceased; disposal
of property
A. When a death investigation has been completed by the county medical examiner or
alternate medical examiner and no other person takes charge of the body of the deceased,
the examiner shall cause the body to be delivered to the funeral establishment, licensed
pursuant to title 32, chapter 12, article 4, closest geographically to the place where
the body is pronounced dead, for preservation, disinfection and final disposition. The
medical examiner or alternate medical examiner may establish geographical areas within
the county and a rotation system whereby the bodies are delivered equally in sequence to
all licensed funeral establishments in each geographical area. All licensed funeral
establishments in any incorporated city or town shall be in the same geographical
area. Area boundaries in unincorporated areas shall be drawn so as to approximate equal
distances between incorporated cities or towns in which a licensed funeral establishment
or establishments exist. Upon request of any licensed funeral establishment, in writing,
they shall be removed from participation in the receipt of medical examiner cases until
they rescind their request. If there is not sufficient property in the estate of the
deceased to pay the necessary expenses of the burial, the expenses shall be a legal
charge against the county. Upon determination of indigency the funeral establishment
shall perform the normal county indigent burial, in the manner and for the fee then being
paid by the county, or release the body, upon county request, without fee, to the funeral
establishment designated by the county for other indigent burials.
B. Notwithstanding subsection A of this section, the county medical examiner or
alternate medical examiner may cause the body to be delivered to a community college
under the jurisdiction of a community college district as defined in section 15-1401, if
the community college has an accredited mortuary science program. On acceptance of the
body and with proper authorization, the community college mortuary science program shall
preserve and disinfect the body, prepare it for final disposition and deliver the body to
a licensed funeral establishment pursuant to subsection A of this section for final
disposition. For the purposes of this subsection, proper authorization may be provided by
the next of kin pursuant to section 36-831, subsection A or the public fiduciary of the
county.
C. Within thirty days after the examination, the medical examiner or alternate
medical examiner shall deliver to the public fiduciary of the county or the legal
representative of the deceased any money or property found upon the body.
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