Tazewell County Coroner

Dennis Conover
Coroner
County of Tazewell

11 S 4th St. Ste. 228
McKenzie Building
Pekin, Illinois 61554
Phone: 309/346-1222
Fax: 309/346-4415
E-Mail: dconover@tazewell.com

Carl Powell, Chief Deputy Coroner

Glenda S. Grashoff, Office Manager

The Tazewell County Coroner is mandated by Statue to investigate the cause and manner of death of any dead body within the borders of the county when the circumstances of the death indicate any of the following:

A.	A sudden or violent death, whether apparently suicidal, homicidal, or accidental
B.	Any death due to a sex crime or a crime against nature including criminal or self-induced abortions and stillborn infants where there is a suspicion of illegal interference
C.	A death where the circumstances are suspicious, obscure, mysterious or otherwise unexplained.
D.	A death where addiction to alcohol or to any drug may have been a contributory cause.
E.	A death where the decedent was not attended by a licensed physician within the past 72-hours or death occurs within 24 hours of admission to a hospital (unless the patient has been under continuous care of a physician for a natural disease which is responsible for death)
F.	A death on the operating table or prior to recovery from anesthesia
G.	All deaths in any State institution
H.	All deaths of wards of the State in a private care facility or in programs funded by the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Illinois Department of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, or the Department of Children and Family Services.
I.	All deaths occurring while being pursued, apprehended, or taken into custody of any law enforcement agency.
J.	Any death of a fireman who dies within 30 days of working a fire.
K.	All deaths arising from employment including industrial poisonings from absorption and/or inhalation
L.	All hospice deaths.
M.	All human skeletal remains including bones and decomposed fleshy parts of a deceased human body including grave artifacts.

During a death investigation, it may be the duty and responsibility of the Coroner to cause an autopsy to be performed, including the taking of X-rays and the performance of other medical tests, toxicology tests, and positive body identification a the Coroner deems appropriate. (In Tazewell County, between 8% and 10% of the total yearly caseload involve the authorizing of an autopsy. Death investigations totaled 971 for Dec. 2008 thru Nov. 2009).

Special attention is given by the Coroner's office to the family of the deceased in keeping them informed during their grieving process. This care, concern, and compassion is also exhibited by the Cornoner in providing the option of tissue, organ, and body donation (in those deaths meeting the donation criteria) and in providing special reports in all Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) cases.

The Coroner takes charge of any valuable personal property, money, or papers found upon or near the body which is the subject of a Coroner's investigation and delivers the same to these entitled to its care or possession. After the inquisition, the Coroner released the body to family or friends for burial. If no next of kin or friends exist, the Coroner shall cause the body to be decently buried, the expenses paid by the County.

Prior to the filing of a permanent death certificate by the Coroner for a death coming under jurisdiction of the Coroner, the Coroner may conduct an inquest. Evidence developed during the Coroner's death investigation is presented to a panel of 6 jurors provided by the Jury Commission. After hearing the evidence presented at the inquest, the jury panel deliberates and returns the cause and manner of death that is then recorded by the Coroner on the permanent death certificate. As part of its verdict, the jury may make recommendations involving matters of public safety or spotlight a public hazard.

In any death where the remains are to be cremated, it shall be the duty of the funeral director to obtain from the Coroner a permit to cremate a body. The Coroner, prior to the issuing of the permit, shall complete his investigation of the cause and circumstance of the death. No crematory shall cremate a dead human body unless a Coroner's permit to cremate has been furnished to authourize the cremation. (In 2009, 387 permits were issues).