Coroner's Inquest Database
The Coroner’s Inquest Database is an abstract of records that have been indexed and are available for online research. The original records are available on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives. The database contains records from various counties, the City of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Medical Examiner.
In Missouri, the coroner is a county official, usually elected, who investigates and creates records for deaths that occur under accidental, questionable, unusual, or suspicious circumstances. Coroner’s records contain unique information about the men and women who died in Missouri. Though initially produced for the purpose of studying a particular cause of death, the information recorded can be analyzed for genealogical facts. Use of the Coroner’s Inquest Database can provide specific information about an ancestor’s death, as well as interesting insights into Missouri’s past. Researchers can also use the database to locate original records for the study of such topics as public health, social violence, ethnic communities, and urban development.
In addition, details in the coroner’s records often point to records for additional genealogical and historiographic research. For instance, the inquest testimony and reports can imply relationships that are not otherwise specified. Friends and family often offered sworn statements. If the inquest interview is conducted with a translator, it could indicate immigrant status, leading to a search of naturalization records for citizenship status. If a criminal investigation is suggested or inquest verdict given, researchers may want to consult circuit court records or penitentiary/prison records for additional information.
The database search engine allows searches by county, name of deceased, cause of death, and/or year of death (or range of years). A keyword search function is also available. The database offers the following information abstracted from the original records:
- Case number
- Name of deceased
- Age or date of birth
- Race
- Gender
- Date of death
- Cause of death
- Location of death
- Microfilm reel number
- Box and file number for original record
The Coroner’s Inquest Database project is ongoing; additional counties will be added to the database as completed. To request copies of records, please email the citation for the record you want to the Missouri State Archives at [email protected]. The record will be located, the number of pages counted, and you will be notified by email of the cost of the copies. Upon receipt of a check, the copies will be made and mailed to you.
