About the Medical Examiner’s Office
The Hennepin County medical examiner investigates all sudden or unexpected deaths in Hennepin, Dakota and Scott counties, to determine how and why a person has died. On request, the office also provides autopsy services for other jurisdictions.
Our work
The medical examiner's staff gathers and interprets information to ensure that death investigations are scientifically unbiased, thorough and accurate. Specifically, our work includes:
- Receiving death reports
- Performing autopsies
- Preserving evidence
- Determining cause and manner of death
- Identifying decedent and notifying next of kin
The Medical Examiner's Office is an independent agency and does not work for the county attorney or law enforcement.
Annual reports
Minnesota statutes
The following state laws govern the work of the Medical Examiner’s Office:
- Duties of the office - Minnesota Statute 390
- Release of data about deaths - Minnesota Statute 13.83
- Right to control and duty of disposition - Minnesota Statute 149A.80
Our history
Established by Minnesota law in 1963, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner replaced an elected coroner system. Today, we are the largest office of its kind in Minnesota.
Three medical examiners have led our office since its inception:
- John Coe (1963–1984): Founding chief who established modern forensic pathology protocols and an academic relationship with the University of Minnesota.
- Garry Peterson (1984–2004): Oversaw operations, developed national standards for medical examiners, and guided the transition from Hennepin County General Hospital to a renovated downtown Minneapolis facility in 1999.
- Andrew Baker (2004–present): Led the agency through its expansion to Dakota and Scott counties, as well as the move to a state-of-the-art Minnetonka facility in 2022.
Employment and education
Job opportunities
Find current job opportunities with our office: Hennepin County jobs
Educational opportunities
The Medical Examiner's Office has a strong educational mission to train future medical doctors, forensic pathologists, forensic anthropologists, medicolegal death investigators and autopsy technicians. Along with our internal training programs, we collaborate with the University of Minnesota to provide rotational opportunities for medical students and residents.
We also provide specialized training to law enforcement officers in partnership with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
If you are a medical student interested in a visiting rotation with us, find more information from the University of Minnesota.
Apprenticeships
Our office has two-year apprenticeship programs for medicolegal death investigators and autopsy technicians. These programs give college students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience toward becoming full-time county employees in these fields.
Fellowships
Our office has fellowship programs in forensic pathology and forensic anthropology.
The forensic pathology program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and participates in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). We are not currently accepting applications for the forensic pathology fellowship program.
The anthropology postdoctoral fellowship is an internal program that immerses fellows in the medicolegal aspects of anthropology within a medical examiner's office.
Contact us to learn about availability for all of these programs before submitting application materials: me.inforequest@hennepin.us or 612-215-6300
More information
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