The mission of the Medical Examiner’s Office is to protect the health and safety of our community by providing objective, comprehensive medicolegal investigations and establishing an accurate, legally-defensible cause and manner of death for each unnatural, unattended, and unexpected death that occurs within Onondaga County and contracted counties.
Under New York County Law Article 17A, the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office (OCMEO) is responsible for the investigation of sudden and unexplained deaths. In addition to Onondaga County, the OCMEO provides medical examiner services through contractual agreements with surrounding counties, primarily Cayuga, Madison, Oneida and Oswego Counties. OCMEO findings may be shared with legal next-of-kin/family members of decedents, insurance companies, legal offices, district attorney offices, law enforcement/ investigating agencies, and designated government oversight agencies at the local, State, and Federal levels.
The OCMEO is accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and follows standards established by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI). The OCMEO Toxicology Laboratory is additionally accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to the 17025:2017 Forensic Science Testing Laboratory Accreditation Requirements.