Skip to main content

Medicolegal Death Investigators Training

Saint Louis University's Medicolegal Death Investigators Training Course provides comprehensive training in conducting scientific, systematic and thorough death scene and telephone investigations for medical examiners and coroner offices. 

Course Overview 

This 40-hour introductory-level course teaches the 29 national guidelines set forth in the National Institutes of Justice 1999 publication, "Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator."  

  • Core Focus: Participants learn to gather essential crime scene details and medical history to assist medical examiners or coroners in determining a person’s cause and manner of death.  
  • Scope: Lectures from forensic specialists cover all major categories of deaths that occur in medicolegal jurisdictions, with a specific focus on the investigator’s role.  
  • Medical Emphasis: The course emphasizes the medical aspects of death investigation. It is not a homicide seminar.  
  • Jurisdiction: Presenters focus on St. Louis-area medicolegal procedures, many of which can be adopted in other jurisdictions.  
  • Coordination: Participants are instructed to properly disseminate information to forensic scientists and law enforcement personnel to achieve a coordinated, efficient and complete death investigation. 

Key Topics Covered

  • Basic death scene techniques
  • Estimating time of death
  • Body changes after death
  • Laws pertaining to death investigation
  • Courtroom testimony preparation
  • Critical incident stress debriefing
  • Indentification and family notification
  • Roles of ancillary forensic sciences

Who Should Attend? 

This course is designed for individuals new to medicolegal death investigation or those working in or alongside medicolegal offices, including: 

  • Police officers 
  • Coroners 
  • Physicians, nurses and emergency medical personnel 
  • Attorneys 
  • Forensic scientists 
  • Professionals investigating violent, suspicious or unexpected deaths that fall under the jurisdiction of medicolegal authorities 

Experienced death investigators seeking information beyond the introductory level should consider the University's Masters Advanced Death Investigation Conference. 

Course Dates and Registration 

Spring 2026 

This training course was held March 9-12 at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. 

Fall 2026 

The fall course will be held Monday, Oct. 12, to Thursday, Oct. 15. Registration details are coming soon. Check back for more information.