Texas Transportation Code - TRANSP § 203.065. Acquisition of Freeway by County Commissioners Court

a. that a dissection or autopsy is essential to the criminal investigation of a homicide of which the decedent is the victim;

b. that the discovery of the cause of death is necessary to meet an immediate and substantial threat to the public health, and that a dissection or autopsy is essential to ascertain the cause of death;

c. that the death was that of an inmate of a prison, jail, or other correctional facility;

d. that the death was that of a child under the age of 12 years suspected of having been abused or neglected or suspected of being a threat to public health, and the cause of whose death is not apparent after diligent investigation by the medical examiner;  or

e. that the need for a dissection or autopsy is established pursuant to the provisions of this act   1.

“Department” means the Department of Health.

“Friend” means any person who, prior to the decedent's death, maintained close contact with the decedent sufficient to render that person knowledgeable of the decedent's activities, health, and religious beliefs, and who presents an affidavit stating the facts and circumstances upon which the claim that the person is a friend is based, and stating that the person will assume responsibility for the lawful disposition of the body of the deceased.

“Medicolegal death investigator” means a person, other than a medical examiner, who is not a physician, but who is authorized to investigate a death that falls under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner, including all suspicious, violent, unexplained, and unexpected deaths.

“Person in interest” means the spouse, civil union partner, domestic partner, adult child, parent, adult sibling, grandparent, or guardian of the person of the deceased at the time of the deceased's death.