Sec. 10.35.01.02. Report of Medical Examiner Cases to the Police or Sheriff

A. Whenever a physician, funeral director, or other person has knowledge of the occurrence of a death that may have been the result of violence or suicide, or may have occurred by casualty or suddenly when the person was in apparent health, or not attended by a physician, or when the death may have occurred in any suspicious or unusual manner, the physician, funeral director, or other person having this knowledge shall report it without delay to the police or sheriff who has jurisdiction in the city or county where the death occurred.

B. If it is determined that a death occurred at a location other than where the body is found or where the body is located when the medical examiner is advised of the death and the other location is not a public area, the medical examiner or forensic investigator may, in conjunction with law enforcement or under court authority, investigate any location believed to be associated with the death to gather essential facts to determine cause of death or manner of death.

C. A health care facility may not refuse the medical examiner access to a body which is the subject of a medical examiner case at any time.