Do you think every death should be assumed a homicide and should require a minimum level of investigation? If this is already the case, do you think this minimum level of investigation is high enough and is being equitably applied, insofar as the responsible parties' resources allow?
"The best way to bail out the economy is with liberty, not with federal reserve notes." - pairunoyd
"The vision of the Austrian must be greater than the blindness of the sheeple." - pairunoyd
That's where the old title of Sheriff-Coroner came from. As soon as the dead body is found, it's the domain of the law enforcement by default. However high a level the investigation has to be however is dependent on whether any circumstance or living individual's voice lead to cause of suspicion. I don't know how big a budget a typical Coronner's Office has, per dead body that passes his/her inspection.
The reason I ask is because of hospital situations. You have lots of people dying and it seems it would be sooooo easy for someone to get away with it in those circumstances. I know a guy that had his father die last year in a hospital. He was in his mid-80's and was having some unusual problems, but it just came as a shock to the family when he died. They had no idea he was that ill. I hinted at the suspicious circumstances to my friend, but didn't want to be inappropriate during his mourning. As time passed, I was more explicit about my concerns. He initially dismissed them, but later on became more and more suspicious. Ultimately, nothing was done. And of course we all know that age, health, location, etc., all contribute to how much we're willing to invest in any sort of invesitgation. But, even if these economic factors are correct, we shouldn't forget about the nature of man - if someone kills once...