The McLean County Coroner’s Office makes every effort to contact next-of-kin as quickly and compassionately as possible. Speedy notification is not always possible due to a variety of factors, such as
The victim had no identification.
If the victim was transported to a hospital, identification may not have been
possible until medical treatment was completed.
Locating next-of-kin, especially if out of state or county, may take some
time.
Please remember that although the victim may have been separated from his/her
spouse, absent a legally recognized separation or divorce decree, the spouse
is still the legal next-of-kin and is usually the one who will be notified.
Sometimes this may present a difficulty to other family members who believe
they should be the ones notified by the Coroner’s Office.
To prevent a false notification, the Coroner’s Office wants to be absolutely
sure of the identity of a victim before a next-of-kin is notified.