Whose office typically retains custody of a body for autopsy and death investigation?

• A. The crime scene investigator
• B. The police department
• C. The medical examiner's office
• D. The hospital

Answer: (C)

The medical examiner's (or coroner's) office is responsible for custody of a body for autopsy and death investigation because this office oversees determining the cause and manner of death and supervising autopsies. They keep the body in the morgue, maintain the chain of custody for evidence, and coordinate the transfer to the autopsy facility. The other roles contribute to the investigation, but they do not have primary custodial authority for autopsies: crime scene investigators collect evidence at the scene, the police department leads the overall investigation, and a hospital may pronounce death and hold the body briefly before transfer to the medical examiner's facility.