Montana Title 7. Local Government § 7-4-2911. Duties of county coroner

(1) hold inquests as provided in Title 46, chapter 4, parts 1 and 2;

(2) inquire into the cause, manner, and circumstances of all human deaths, as required in 46-4-122, and establish the identity of the deceased person;

(3) provide decent disposal of an unclaimed dead human body and unclaimed parts of bodies believed to be human;

(4) maintain records of inquiries as required by good practice and by law;

(5) as soon as practicable upon identifying a dead human body, provide for notifying the next of kin of the deceased of the fact of death in any death into which the coroner is making an inquiry;

(6) if a law enforcement agency does not have jurisdiction of the case, preserve evidence involving any human death, pursuant to the coroner's authority, including placing under the coroner's control, to the extent necessary, any personal and real property that may be related to or involved in the death;

(7) witness and certify deaths that are the result of a judicial order;

(8) inquire into any human death when no physician or surgeon licensed in the state will sign a death certificate;

(9) notify the county attorney and the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction of all deaths requiring inquiry pursuant to 46-4-122; and

(10) in the cases specified in 25-3-205, discharge the duties of sheriff. If acting as sheriff, the coroner is allowed the same salary as sheriff or the same fees as constable for similar services.