Medicolegal Death Investigations

Medicolegal death investigations (MDIs) are performed on unnatural and unexpected deaths, and the information collected through these investigations informs both public health and public safety. They also can provide important information to families of the decedents, such as information about a decedent’s identification, the cause of death, and other specifics about the details of a death. 

RTI experts work to enhance the tools available to those performing MDIs. These tools include providing training and technical assistance, analysis of new and emerging technologies, and evaluation of practices, as well as working to enhance, understand, and make use of the data provided by the MDI professionals.  

The information provided by the medical examiner and coroner communities, and others who perform these specialized investigations—including forensic pathologists, medicolegal death investigators, forensic toxicologists, and forensic anthropologists—can have important effects on policies and practices. Their findings can shed light on unsafe procedures or identify new and emerging diseases or trends in deaths, such as the opioid epidemic. The results from MDIs also affect decisions being made within criminal legal systems, such as a determination that a death is at the hand of another, or conversely is due to natural causes.  

Despite the importance of this work, many agencies are under-resourced and untrained, which can result in a loss of opportunities to collect vital evidence and information that informs public safety and public health. RTI collaborates with this community to further their ability to positively contribute to justice and health systems, as well as the friends and family of decedents.