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The Medical Examiner program is required by Michigan Law to investigate deaths that are sudden, unexpected, accidental, or violent. The Medical Examiner has the authority to order an autopsy at any time it is deemed necessary to determine or confirm the cause and manner of death. Click on any of the links below to learn more about this program.
Report
a Death | Procedures & Publications | Contact Us
Who We Are
In
Muskegon County the Medical Examiner's Office is a program
of the Health Department. The program is directed by the Chief
Medical Examiner, who is appointed by the Muskegon County
Board of Commissioners.
The
staff consists of the following employees: |
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Chief Medical Examiner: |
Joyce
L. deJong, DO |
Deputy
Medical Examiners: |
Mary
D. Boyer, MD |
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Jerry
Evans, MD |
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Philip Croft, MD |
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Michael
Markey, MD |
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Chief Medical Examiner Investigator: |
Matthew
Kempf, Chief, D-ABMDI |
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Medical Examiner Investigators: |
Timothy
Freye, PA |
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Brian Michelli |
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Dale
Wiersma, MSW, C-ABMDI |
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Medical Administrative Secretary: |
Roberta
Dress |
What We Do
The
main products that result from our work are:
- Written
reports of our investigation
- Written
reports of postmortem examinations (external examinations & autopsies)
- Completion
of the cause-of-death section of the death certificate
- Our
staff also provides court testimony and/or depositions in
criminal or civil law cases
During our investigations and examinations, it is not uncommon
for us to:
- Prepare
photographs
- Obtain
specimens of tissue for microscopic examination
- Obtain
specimens of body fluids for toxicology and other testing
- Obtain
copies of medical records and police reports
Obtain
A Report
We
do not provide copies of death certificates. Certified copies
of death certificates must be obtained from the Muskegon County
Clerk's
Office or from the Funeral Home. Death certificates are
filed in the county where the death occurred.
Our policy is to provide copies of only those reports generated by our office. Copies of reports that we obtain from other agencies ( such as medical records, police reports, crime lab reports, etc.) must be obtained by you directly from those agencies...we cannot release them. In general, we try to limit release of our reports only to those persons and agencies who have a direct and legitimate interest in the case in question.
Items we can provide in most cases include, along with their costs:
Proof of Death Form (only
if death certificate is not available) |
No
Charge |
Certified Autopsy Report
(with Investigative Summary) |
25¢
per page |
Photo reproduction of slides
(if release is authorized by law) |
$2.00
each |
Photo reproduction of Polaroid
photo |
$2.00
each |
For the above items, all requests must be made in writing and prepaid. Please include the deceased's name, date of death, and the case file number (if known). Please be advised that a final autopsy report may not be available for up to two months from the date of death. For more information, call us at (231) 724-1215
Report A Death
Always
call 911 immediately to report a death.
Procedures & Publications
2007 Annual Report
Autopsies: Questions & Facts
Retention of Organs/Human Parts
Cremation Permits
Contact
Us
The
Office of the Medical Examiner is located
at:
Muskegon
County Health Department
209 East Apple Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49442
Phone: (231) 724-1215
Fax: (231) 724-6674
Office Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday 8:00-12:00 & 1:00-5:00
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