Role of the Coroner

The Kankakee County Coroner’s Office investigates all deaths that occur within Kankakee County. In 2023, there were 1,302 calls for service. The Coroner must determine not only the cause of death, but also determine which of the five manners of death (Natural, Accident, Suicide, Homicide, Undetermined) is appropriate. Each year the Coroner signs roughly 500 death certificates. A death certificate is the legal document required for next-of-kin and other family members to finalize the estate of a deceased individual.

In 2023, the Kankakee County Coroner’s Office performed 88 autopsies. An autopsy is performed by a Forensic Pathologist at the request of the Coroner. Per Illinois State Statutes an autopsy shall be performed on any case that is deemed suspicious, obscure, mysterious, or otherwise unexplained and in the opinion of the examining physician or the Coroner the cause of death cannot be established definitely except by autopsy, and where a death has occurred while being pursued, apprehended, or taken into custody by or while in the custody of any law enforcement agency, it is declared that the public interest requires that an autopsy be performed.

Another primary function of the Office of the Coroner is to provide community education. Some of the topics that are touched on include: seatbelt usage, the dangers of texting and driving, the dangers of drinking and driving, and more recently the drug epidemic that is killing thousands of people a year throughout our country. It is the goal of the Kankakee County Coroner’s Office to enhance community partnerships and education throughout the county to provide awareness to these and many other dangers so that more lives can be saved.