[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The job of the ME is to determine cause of death, i.e., asphyxiation by ligature, not manner of death, e.g., homicide, suicide, or natural. Manner of death is the job of the coroner.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Good point.

[Okeydoker]

In most metropolitan counties and large cities the medical examiner, a forensic pathologist by training and certification, has either replaced the old coroner system, or the medical examiner holds both titles.

[Steve Van Doorn]

said, "The job of the ME is to determine cause of death, i.e., asphyxiation by ligature, not manner of death, e.g., homicide, suicide, or natural. Manner of death is the job of the coroner."

I can't find the medical examiners report anyplace. How do we know what the ME wrote? Either the ME is falsifying their report or the media is editorializing the medical examiners reports.

[Jim W N]

Interesting. I’ve never never thought about a difference between an ME and a coroner. I probably thought they were the same thing.

So the ME produces an “autopsy” which is only supposed to have determined cause of death, i.e., asphyxiation by ligature, not manner of death. I think most people think that an autopsy tells you cause of death but also whether the person was, say murdered. For instance in Jaws, was it supposed to be an ME or the coroner that put out what I thought was an autopsy that the girl was killed by a shark but later changed to a boat propeller.

So what report does the coroner put out?