Investigations

Responsibilities

The Coroner is required to investigate all deaths in Colusa County that are:

Associated with a known or alleged rape or crime against nature
Caused from a known or suspected contagious disease and constituting a public hazard
Caused from drowning, fire, gunshots, stabbing, starvation, exposure, alcoholism, drug addiction, aspiration, or accidental poisoning
Caused from occupational diseases or occupational hazards
Fetal deaths when the gestation period is 20 weeks or longer
Following an accident or injury
In operating rooms or where a patient has not fully recovered from an anesthetic whether in surgery, a recovery room, or elsewhere
In prison or while under sentence
Involving any criminal action or suspicion of a criminal act
Involving a physician who is unable to state the cause of death
Involving patients who are comatose throughout the period of the physician's attendance
Involving patients who have not been attended by a physician in the 20 days prior to death
Involving unidentified persons
Known or suspected homicides
Known or suspected suicides
Related to or following known or suspected self-induced or criminal abortion
Suspected to be caused by sudden infant death syndrome
Unattended deaths, meaning the physician did not attend the patient or was absent during the death

An autopsy may be necessary to determine the medical cause of death. Another reason would be to gather evidence for presentation in a court of law.

For more information about the coroner's office, please contact the Sheriff's Department at (530) 458-0200.