The Monroe County Office of the Medical Examiner is an agency of the county government that serves in the public interest to investigate all reported deaths which are not attended by a physician and those which may not be natural in manner. Service is provided for Monroe County and many surrounding counties to aid in the administration of criminal and civil justice and to provide accurate data that can be utilized for public health and educational needs.

Programs:

• Archival Services
• Investigation Services
• Toxicology Laboratory
• Autopsy Services
• Community Education and Lecture Programs
• Disaster Preparedness—Mass Fatality Response

Archival Services

The Medical Examiner’s Office maintains meticulous records related to cases that are investigated by this office. Access to these records is strictly controlled to ensure that confidentiality is maintained.

In some situations, these records can be made available to interested parties, including family members. Specific information related to obtaining these records can be obtained by contacting this office.

The hours for record information requests are Monday through Friday (10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.).

Questions?

E-mail the Medical Examiner or call 585 753-5905, Monday through Friday (10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.).

Contact Information:

• Julie Luedke, Confidential Secretary to the Medical Examiner, 585 753-5916

Investigation Services

Investigation services are provided by a team of professional investigators. Service is provided 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.

The investigative staff:

• Performs scene responses and subsequent investigations to determine specifics surrounding deaths that occur in the county.
• Provides for the transportation of human remains to facilitate further examination.
• Gathers evidence and specimens for further testing.

Contact information:

• Robert Zerby, Chief Medical Investigator: 585 753-5914

Toxicology Laboratory

The Medical Examiner’s Office operates and maintains a state-of-the-art Toxicology Laboratory facility to provide the best scientific data related to the cases investigated.

The Toxicology Laboratory:

• Performs chemical analyses on samples obtained at both health care facilities and autopsy.
• Performs chemical analyses on samples submitted by police agencies for criminal proceedings.

Contact information:

• Jeanne Beno, Ph.D., Chief Toxicologist: 585 753-5905
• Toxicology Laboratory Hours: Monday through Friday (8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.)

Autopsy Services

The autopsy is a surgical procedure that is performed to help establish the cause and manner of death. In most all cases, the performance of an autopsy will not affect the viewing preferences of next-of-kin.

The autopsy section specifically:

• Performs forensic autopsies to establish cause and manner of death.
• Collects and documents evidence collection for legal proceedings.

Contact Information:

• Robert Zerby, Chief Medical Investigator: 585 753-5914

Community Education and Lecture Services

Medical Examiner Office operations are often veiled in secrecy or misunderstanding. To assist the public, representatives of the Medical Examiner’s Office are available through the Monroe County Speaker’s Bureau.

Through this service, lectures series for specific audiences related to issues surrounding death and dying, violence, drugs, and other issues in the community are provided.

Additionally, the Medical Examiner’s Office provides limited internship programs for qualified college students.

Contact information:

• Robert Zerby, Chief Medical Investigator: 585 753-5914

Disaster Preparedness

Mass Fatality Response

The Medical Examiner’s Office works hard to ensure that in the event of a mass fatality incident, a rapid response can be made. The response is coordinated to mitigate the situation and return living conditions to normal as quickly and safely as possible for the people who live and work in Monroe County.

By working with a multitude of county and private agencies, plans are formulated and reviewed regularly to respond to and mitigate any mass fatality incident.

Regular training is held to ensure a level of responder awareness and safety is maintained for both traditional disaster scenarios as well as the threat associated with Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) / Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Agents.