Get Answers: Determining cause of death takes time

jennifer from farmington writes -- "why can't the medical investigator determine a cause of death...  More »

jennifer from farmington writes -- "why can't the medical investigator determine a cause of death for my father-in-law who died in november -- but can determine a cause of death for the man who died at wal-mart four days ago." cristina rodda is live at the office of the medical investigator where she got answers on why some cases move quicker than others.// the office of the medical investigator says an autopsy is typically done about 24 hours after a death. what determines how quickly the a cause of death is identified depends on a number of factors. the office of the medical examiner says in some cases an autopsy is not enough to figure out what someone died from... like drug overdose deaths. medical investigators say a lot of times they need to run tests like toxicology, or microscopic testing before they can confidently rule on a cause of death. this all takes time. the state's chief investigator says each case is different -- but all are equally important. "we think it's very important that we don't jump to a conclusion and if a cause or manner of death is inappropriate." as for the wal- mart employee who died while as for the wal- mart employee who died while confronting shoplifiting suspects -- o-m-i says his autopsy showed clear signs of a heart attack -- so the ruling came quickly. families with questions about a loved one's status are encouraged to call the office of the medical investigator  « Less