What should I do now?

What happens during an investigation?  

• Law enforcement notifies OMI.
• An OMI investigator conducts a scene investigation.
• Your loved one may be taken to OMI or a designated funeral home.  
• An examination may be performed at the discretion of the forensic pathologist.
• Upon completion of the examination the forensic pathologist issues a cause and manner of death, certifies the death certificate.
• Families obtain the death certificate from the funeral home or entity based on cultural or religious practices.
• In cases of natural deaths, and completion of an examination on the scene, the decedent’s primary care physician is notified to sign the death certificate.

Information you can provide to assist with this process:

• Decedent’s legal name
• Social security number
• Date of birth
• Residential address 
• Primary care physician information
• Health information
• Tribal affiliation 
• Consulate information

Release of Your Loved One

Below are suggestions to help with the release process of your loved one: 

• Consult with a funeral home of your choice to assist with services and cremation.
• Cultural and Religious considerations: if your loved one was part of a specific cultural or religious tradition, please contact your cultural and/or religious leaders for guidance on how to work with OMI. 
• Family burials (including traditional Navajo members) are allowed in the State of New Mexico. Contact OMI Decedent Affairs (505.272.1361) to discuss legal documents needed from the county for release, death certificate and transportation from OMI.  
• If you are without financial means for funeral services for your loved one, contact OMI Decedent Affairs (505.272.1361) for further information about County Indigent Burial Programs throughout New Mexico.    
• Death Certificates are issued once the examination and investigation are completed. You will obtain the death certificate from the funeral home, cultural or religious institution or from OMI only if the selection is family burial. 

OMI Grief Services Program  

The Grief Services Program is an important part of OMI. The Grief Support Program staff have extensive experience and expertise in dealing with the effects of traumatic grief, bereavement, and loss.   

Any death can give rise to a variety of physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions, leading to extreme distress for family and friends.   

Various support groups are offered for those experiencing the traumatic death of a loved one. Grief Services offers assistance with learning how to cope with the reactions to the traumatic loss of a loved one and may be helpful to family and friends faced with this experience.  

Grief Services Provided  

• No-cost counseling when OMI is involved with the death of your loved one.
• Focus on those coping with homicide, suicide, drug overdose, and motor vehicle accident deaths of loved ones. 
• Grief support is available throughout the state via Telehealth or in person.
• Advocacy and referrals to community resources.
• Facilitation of meetings between forensic pathologists and family members to review autopsy findings. 
• Providing information and helping families navigate OMI processes such as requesting autopsy reports, obtaining death certificates, and updates on the status of the death investigations. 

How can I get an autopsy/postmortem report?

If the case falls under the jurisdiction of the OMI, the autopsy or postmortem report can be accessed as public record. Open a Records Request form and fill out the required details on the form provided. It usually takes approximately 90 days for cases to be finalized before the reports are released.