(a) If a law-enforcement officer or other official discovers or comes into custody of unidentified human remains, the officer or official shall immediately notify the office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the location of those remains. After a law-enforcement agency performs an appropriate death scene investigation with the assistance of the Chief Medical Examiner or county medical examiner, unidentified human remains shall remain in the custody of the office of the Chief Medical Examiner or the county medical examiner pursuant to the requirements of §61-12-3 of this code.
(b) If a law-enforcement officer or other official is uncertain whether materials he or she discovers or comes into custody of are human remains, the officer or official shall immediately notify and seek the assistance of the office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Structure West Virginia Code
Article 3D. Missing Persons Act
§15-3D-4. Missing Persons Complaints; Law-Enforcement Procedures
§15-3D-5. Missing Persons Investigation Requirements
§15-3D-6. Reporting and Handling of Unidentified Human Remains
§15-3D-7. Identification of Human Remains
§15-3D-8. Filing a False Missing Persons Complaint; Criminal Penalties
§15-3D-9. Missing and Endangered Child Advisory System; Definitions; Rule-Making Authority