An inquest is an investigation into the cause and circumstances of a death. Laws vary from state to state and the circumstances under which an inquest may be required are usually specified in a state’s statutes.

For example, if a person dies in a county with a medical examiner, the medical examiner (or authorized deputy) may be required to conduct an inquest under the these and other circumstances:

• when a person dies within 24 hours after being admitted to a hospital or institution, or dies in prison or jail;

• when a person is killed, or dies from an unnatural cause of death (unless executed by the state for a crime), or dies without one or more good witnesses;

• when the body or a body part of a person is found, and the cause or circumstances of death are unknown;

• when the circumstances of the death of any person lead to suspicion the person died by unlawful means;

• when any person commits suicide, or the circumstances of the person's death lead to suspicion the person committed suicide;

• when a person dies without having been attended by a duly licensed and practicing physician, and the local health officer or registrar required to report the cause of death does not know the cause of death;

• when the person is a child and the death is required to be reported by law; and

• when a person dies who has been attended immediately preceding death by a duly licensed and practicing physician or physicians, and such physician or physicians are not certain as to the cause of death and are unable to certify with certainty the cause of death.

In New Mexico, an inquest into the cause and circumstances of a death may be conducted under various conditions as outlined by state statutes. While specific procedures can vary, generally, an inquest is warranted in situations such as: deaths occurring within 24 hours of hospital admission, deaths in prison, unnatural or suspicious deaths, deaths without witnesses, found bodies or body parts with unknown causes of death, suspected unlawful deaths, suicides or suspected suicides, deaths without medical attendance where the cause is unknown, child deaths that are legally mandated to be reported, and cases where attending physicians cannot certify the cause of death with certainty. The Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) in New Mexico is responsible for investigating these types of deaths. The OMI is tasked with determining the cause and manner of death when it falls under their jurisdiction, which includes many of the circumstances listed above. An attorney can provide guidance on the specific application of these regulations and the processes involved in an inquest in New Mexico.