How difficult is it to get a Coroner's Report from the 1930's?

Question:I have several relatives who died mysteriously in Arkansas and Louisiana. My Aunt (in Arkansas) was found dead in jail at the age of 17. According to her death certificate, she had pulled a table over on her head and killed herself. I also have a relative in Arkansas who's body was donated to science without the knowledge or consent of his next of kin. And in Louisiana, the death wasn't unusual, but the death certificate listed the relative as a "Pauper", which makes me wonder if the State picked up his burial expenses, in which case there might be records someplace. Any ideas?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have several relatives who died mysteriously in Arkansas and Louisiana. My Aunt (in Arkansas) was found dead in jail at the age of 17. According to her death certificate, she had pulled a table over on her head and killed herself. I also have a relative in Arkansas who's body was donated to science without the knowledge or consent of his next of kin. And in Louisiana, the death wasn't unusual, but the death certificate listed the relative as a "Pauper", which makes me wonder if the State picked up his burial expenses, in which case there might be records someplace. Any ideas?

There are two ways to look at this. If you want to see IF the reports exist, you need to contact the county and find out where they would have archived the coroner's reports from that era. They won't actually keep them at the county level...takes up way too much space and they will revert to the custody of the State.

The other way to approach this is to contact the County and ask what their protocol would have been back then. They'll tell the real story about whether they even had a coroner. Sadly, back then the "coroner" was more often than not a funeral home director. You may not get much in the way of "answers" from a report written to cover malfeasance back then.

As for the "pauper" certification. Yes, the State handled the burial. There will be a pauper's cemetary in every county. Usually there's nothing to distinguish one person from another. They'd have used a simple pine box and put it in an unmarked grave. Expenses would have been minimal, so records would be negligible.

I cain't answere your question.but know some one
who can.

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OUR
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Stargazer

Unfortunately in the 1930s, the "coroner's report" is actually the death certificate - unless there was some investigation for a crime. It isn't like today where there is a formal report, in addition to death certificate, for anyone who dies.

Basically, the coroner "determined the cause of death", usually just accepting whatever explaination was given if the cursory observations supported it. So if you hae the death certificate with the cause of death, you most likely have the coroner's report already.

If you have the full name and dates of birth and/or death, there are probably records in the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics or by whatever name the state uses.

If you request a copy of the reports, you will probably need to show identification and give a plausible reason for wanting it. There will probably also be a charge for copying the records.

You might check if they had a probate or commitment hearing in the civil case logs. Sometimes there is a county old age home for the poor, and there are court proceedings to admit them.

And above all, check the newspapers - unusual deaths tend to be reported, and have additional details not on a form - like funeral homes that you can ask for records.