How do I contact the Bonneville County Coroner’s Office?
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office can be reached by calling (208)533-6999. Please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
What funeral home should I use?
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office is a governmental office and as such, we cannot refer families to specific funeral homes. We encourage you to consult with your family and friends for recommendations.
Who can make funeral arrangements or final disposition decisions for a decedent?
Only Next-of-Kin (NOK) or the individual who holds a durable power of attorney for health care for your loved one can make funeral arrangements or final disposition arrangements for your loved one. A significant other or friend, regardless of how long they have known or been involved with your loved one cannot make arrangements unless they have legal documentation authorizing them to do so.
Do I need to come to the Bonneville County Coroner’s Office to identify my loved one? Can I view my loved one at the facility?
No. You won’t be asked to come to the Bonneville County Coroner’s Office to complete an identification. The coroner and staff, along with our contracted forensic pathology center, work diligently to properly identify each decedent we encounter. Viewing your loved one in the comfort of the funeral home is the only option available in Bonneville County.
How do I get my loved one’s personal items back?
Your loved one’s personal items will be released with him/her to the funeral home chosen by legal Next-of-Kin. The funeral home will then arrange a time with legal Next-of-Kin to receive those personal items.
Will my loved one receive an autopsy? How will I know if an autopsy is performed?
The Coroner will review the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s death and decide whether to perform an autopsy based on the standards of forensic practice outlined by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME).
Legal Next-of-Kin will be notified when a decision has been made to perform an autopsy. Your investigator will contact you and answer any questions you may have.
Why is the Coroner’s Office investigating my loved one’s death?
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office is governed by Idaho State Statues. These statutes require that the Coroner investigate certain types of deaths to determine cause and manner of death. The following list does not cover all types of deaths that require investigations, but generally include:
* Deaths associated with trauma or violence, whether homicide, suicide or accident.
* Deaths associated with suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances.
* Deaths not attended by a physician and where the cause of death cannot be certified by a physician.
* Deaths who are unclaimed, exposed or unidentified.
* Deaths occurring within 24 hours of admission to a hospital or deaths in the ER.
* Deaths due to infections or contagious disease or other potentially hazardous public health conditions
* Deaths involving stillborn, infants, and children under 18 who do not have a significant diagnosis that led to death.
My loved one had an autopsy. Will we still be able to have an open casket funeral?
The surgical procedures used to perform an autopsy do not interfere with having an open casket funeral.
What if I do NOT want an autopsy performed?
The Coroner authorizes autopsies based on the circumstances surrounding the death and the need to determine cause and manner of death; However, the investigator will note your concern and share that information but under Idaho Code 19-4103B either the Coroner or Prosecuting Attorney can order an autopsy and the decision does not require the concert of the Next-of-Kin.
What if I want an autopsy to be completed and the Coroner’s Office is not going to do one?
The Coroner reviews each case to decide if an autopsy is needed to determine cause and manner of death. If the Coroner determines that the cause and manner of death can be accurately determined without an autopsy, absent a request by the prosecuting attorney, an autopsy will not be completed. However, the investigator will note your concern or request in the case file and share that information with the Coroner. If a final decision is made to not complete an autopsy and you still wish to have one completed, you will need to arrange for a private autopsy to be completed by a private pathologist at a local medical facility and transportation to and from that facility.
Where will my loved one’s autopsy take place?
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office currently contracts with the Ada County Coroner’s Office for forensic pathology services. The Ada County Coroner’s Office is currently the only nationally accredited forensic pathology center in Idaho.
When will my loved one be released by the Coroner’s Office?
Your loved one will be released to a funeral home immediately unless there is the determination that an autopsy will be required. In the event of an autopsy, your loved one will be released to the funeral home once the autopsy has been completed.
How long does it take to determine cause and manner of death?
There is not a set amount of time for determining the cause and manner of death. Each case is unique to that individual. An autopsy or forensic testing is generally conducted as soon as possible based on scheduling with the forensic pathology center. Our staff works diligently to determine cause and manner of death; However, we can not guarantee a specific time frame for those to be completed as they are dependent upon the unique circumstances of the investigation for each individual.
How long does it take for toxicology results to come back?
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office uses an outside facility for toxicology testing and there is no set time when we will get the results back. Toxicology results can take anywhere from 6-8 weeks to be completed.
My loved one had an autopsy. When will the results be available?
The autopsy procedure is very comprehensive and the process, along with additional testing, is time consuming. The final report (known as an autopsy report) may be delayed due to case load. If you would like to find out if there are preliminary autopsy findings, you may call and request to speak to the investigator assigned to the case. An autopsy report for cases with criminal charges will not be released for 45 days after sentencing and/or all appeal times have passed.
There is blood and other body fluid or biohazardous materials in the location where my loved one died. Who can I call to help clean the area?
There are a number of biohazard and scene clean-up companies that can be found on the internet and provide resources. Homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance may help with these costs and you will want to contact your insurance company to get more information.
Do I have to pay for Coroner services (autopsy, specimen testing, investigation services, etc.)?
The Bonneville County Coroner’s Office is a county government office funded by tax dollars. Standard services provided by the Coroner’s Office, in cases under the jurisdiction of the office, are completed at no additional cost to your loved one’s immediate family. In certain cases, the Coroner’s Office may charge fees for non-standard services.
What do I do next?
We recommend that you seek support from family and friends in this difficult time. If you are the legal Next-of-Kin or legally authorized person, you will need to begin making final arrangements for your loved one. Once you have selected a funeral home, the director can guide you and help you fill out all necessary paperwork.
Will I be told the cause and manner of death for my loved one?
Yes. Cause of death is the medical condition or process that resulted in your loved one’s death. Manner of death is the circumstance of or the way that death occurred such as Natural, Accident, Homicide, Suicide, or Undetermined.
In cases when there an autopsy or forensic inspection for your loved one, the investigator will contact the legal next-of-kin, and will let you know what the final cause and manner of death are and update you on test results.
