23-14-19. Joint custody of dead bodies and effects--Movement prohibited--Violation as misdemeanor.
As to any death, the cause and manner of which is in the public interest, the county coroner and law enforcement agency exercising investigative control over such death shall jointly take charge of and exercise complete control over all dead bodies and all effects affixed thereto to determine the physiological cause of death. The investigating law enforcement officers, including the state's attorney or attorney general shall have control over all other elements of evidence demonstrating a potential criminal circumstance of death. No dead body subject to control by the coroner having investigative control may be moved from the scene of death without the coroner's permission unless the body directly obstructs a public transportation right-of-way or poses an immediate health hazard. No dead body subject to coroner control under this section may be embalmed without the express authority of the investigating coroner. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Source: SL 1985, ch 191, §2.