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 all unnatural, unattended, and unexpected deaths that occur within Onondaga County and other contracted counties.
The Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office (OCMEO) is accredited by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and is responsible for the investigation of sudden and unexplained deaths. OCMEO findings are shared with and/or utilized by decedent next-of-kin/family members, district attorney offices, law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, legal offices, and local and state public health agencies.
The OCMEO also provides medical examiner services through contractual agreements with surrounding counties primarily Cayuga, Madison, Oneida and Oswego counties. The OCMEO is accredited by NAME and ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) ISO/IEC 17025 and follows standards established by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators.