Nevada § 259.050 - Investigation into cause of death; postmortem examination; inquest

§ 259.050. Investigation into cause of death; postmortem examination; inquest

1. When a coroner or the coroner's deputy is informed that a person has been killed,

has committed suicide or has suddenly died under such circumstances as to afford reasonable

ground to suspect that the death has been occasioned by unnatural means, the coroner

shall make an appropriate investigation. 2. In all cases where it is apparent or can be reasonably inferred that the death

may have been caused by a criminal act, the coroner or the coroner's deputy shall

notify the district attorney of the county where the inquiry is made, and the district

attorney shall make an investigation with the assistance of the coroner. If the sheriff is not ex officio the coroner, the coroner shall also notify the

sheriff, and the district attorney and sheriff shall make the investigation with the

assistance of the coroner. 3. If it is apparent to or can be reasonably inferred by the coroner that a death

may have been caused by drug use or poisoning, the coroner shall cause a postmortem

examination to be performed on the decedent by a forensic pathologist unless the death

occurred following a hospitalization stay of 24 hours or more. 4. A coroner may issue a subpoena for the production of any document, record or material

that is directly related or believed to contain evidence related to an investigation

by the coroner. 5. The holding of a coroner's inquest is within the sound discretion of the district

attorney or district judge of the county. An inquest need not be conducted in any case of death manifestly occasioned by natural

cause, suicide, accident, motor vehicle crash or when it is publicly known that the

death was caused by a person already in custody, but an inquest must be held unless

the district attorney or a district judge certifies that no inquest is required. 6. If an inquest is to be held, the district attorney shall call upon a justice of

the peace of the county to preside over it. The justice of the peace shall summon three persons qualified by law to serve as

jurors, to appear before the justice of the peace forthwith at the place where the

body is or such other place within the county as may be designated by him or her to

inquire into the cause of death. 7. A single inquest may be held with respect to more than one death, where all the

deaths were occasioned by a common cause.