ORS 146.103¹
Removal of body, effects or weapons prohibited without consent

(1) In a death requiring an investigation, no person shall move a human body or body suspected of being human, or remove any of the effects of the deceased or instruments or weapons related to the death without the permission of a medical examiner, deputy medical examiner or the district attorney.

(2) No person shall move or remove any of the items specified in subsection (1) of this section if the medical examiner or district attorney objects.

(3) A medical examiner, district attorney or deputy medical examiner shall take custody of or exercise control over the body, the effects of the deceased and any weapons, instruments, vehicles, buildings or premises which the medical examiner, district attorney or deputy medical examiner has reason to believe were involved in the death, in order to preserve evidence relating to the cause and manner of death.

(4) In a death requiring investigation, no person shall undress, embalm, cleanse the surface of the body or otherwise alter the appearance or the state of the body without the permission of the medical examiner or the district attorney. [1973 c.408 §14]

Notes of Decisions

Medical examiner's right to take charge of body included rolling body over and making observa­tions for later use as basis for search warrant. State v. Blasingame, 127 Or App 382, 873 P2d 361 (1994), Sup Ct review denied

Chapter 146

Law Review Cita­tions

10 WLJ 2-10 (1973)

1 Legislative Counsel Committee, CHAPTER 146—Investigations of Deaths, Injuries and Missing Persons, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­Archive/­2007ors146.­pdf (2007) (last ac­cessed Feb. 12, 2009).
 
2 Legislative Counsel Committee, Annotations to the Oregon Revised Stat­utes, Cumulative Supplement - 2007, Chapter 146, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­146ano.­htm (2007) (last ac­cessed Feb. 12, 2009).
 
3 OregonLaws.org assembles these lists by analyzing references between Sections. Each listed item refers back to the current Section in its own text. The result reveals relationships in the code that may not have otherwise been apparent. Currency Information