Kendall County, IL

Under Illinois law, the Coroner’s Office is responsible for investigating any death that is sudden, suspicious, violent, or unexpected, as well as those that may pose a threat to public safety. Our primary role is to ensure that the circumstances of every death are thoroughly and accurately understood. Depending on what our initial investigation reveals, your loved one may be transported to our Forensic Science Center for additional examination, or they may be released directly into the care of the funeral home you have chosen.

In most situations, your next step is to contact a funeral home of your choice. If your loved one has already been transported to our office, the funeral director will coordinate directly with us to arrange for their care. Your funeral director will also be a vital resource in helping you make final arrangements and determining how many certified death certificates you may need. If you need assistance choosing a provider or want to know what information they will require, please visit our Funeral Home Information page.

Additionally, our office works closely with the Donor Resource Center to determine if tissue donation is a possibility. This is a standard part of our process for all investigated deaths. If your loved one is eligible, a representative from Gift of Hope will reach out to your family by phone to discuss the next steps. You can find more details on our Donor Referrals page.

Following our initial investigation, the process typically follows one of three paths:

• Natural Deaths Under Medical Care: If the death is determined to be from natural causes and the individual was under a doctor’s care, we may refer the death certificate to their primary physician for a signature. Once you select a funeral home, they will coordinate with the physician and take your loved one into their care to begin arrangements.

• Non-Natural Deaths (No Further Examination): If the death was not due to natural causes, or if there was no attending physician, but we determine that a formal examination is not required, your loved one can be released directly to your chosen funeral home. Our investigators may continue to gather medical records or reports to finalize the file, but this usually will not delay your funeral plans.

• Further Examination Required: If the Coroner determines that more information is needed, your loved one will be transported to the Kendall County Forensic Science Center. This may include a forensic autopsy or toxicology testing. We aim to complete these examinations within a few days so your loved one can be released to a funeral home. While a permanent death certificate can take between 30 and 90 days to finalize once all lab results are in, temporary certificates are often available through your funeral home to help you manage immediate legal and financial matters.

If you need more information on how to get death certificates from the Kendall County Clerk & Recorder, you can view our Death Certificate Information page.

Certified copies of death certificates are issued by the Kendall County Clerk’s Office. Most families find it easiest to have their funeral director order these copies on their behalf, though you may also contact the Clerk’s Office directly. For more details, please visit our Death Certificate Information page.

If you require copies of our investigative reports, these can be purchased directly through our office. Information regarding the specific costs for these documents can be found on our Report Fees page. Please note that if a forensic autopsy was performed, we will mail a packet to the legal next-of-kin once the investigation is closed at no cost to your family. This packet includes non-certified copies of the final death certificate, the autopsy report, and the toxicology results.

We understand that the days following a loss can be overwhelming, and we offer several programs to assist you:

• Medical Disposal: To help keep your home safe, we provide programs for the proper disposal of unused medications and medical sharps. More information is available on our Sharps & Medication Disposal page.

• Professional Clean-Up: Dealing with the aftermath of an accident or tragedy is an immense burden. Many families choose to hire professional recovery services to assist with homes or vehicles. You can find a list of providers on our Clean-Up Services page.

• Grief Support: Grief does not have a set timeline, and it is important to know you are not alone. We have gathered a list of local and national resources to support you and your family on our Resources for Families page.

For additional answers regarding the investigation process, please visit our Questions & Answers page.