§45-4-60.05. Medical examiner's investigative authority.

While investigating a death pursuant to this part, the county medical examiner shall be authorized to take charge of the dead body, and the medical examiner or a law enforcement officer having jurisdiction, or the legal designee of the medical examiner, may take possession and examine or have examined related physical evidence on or about the body at the scene as may be useful in establishing identity of the deceased or the cause, manner, and circumstances of death. The county medical examiner shall examine the body externally and take, retain, and examine, or have examined, whatever biological fluids or other evidence from the body he or she deems necessary to determine the cause, manner, and circumstances of death and the identity of the deceased.

(Act 99-366, p. 586, §6.)