Kendall County, IL

Under Illinois state law, the county coroner is charged with the investigation of all deaths which are sudden, suspicious, violent, unexpected, or might be considered a threat to public health and safety, as well as deaths in which the deceased is not under the care of a licensed physician.  The Coroner's Office is a law enforcement agency under the laws of the state of Illinois, and the office's operations are governed by the Coroners Act (55 ILCS 5/ et seq.)

Kendall County is one of the fastest growing counties nationwide and the need for professional death investigation is rapidly increasing with the populous. The science and complexity of death scene investigations is ever-changing, and the coroner's office strives to meet those demands.

Jacquie Purcell is the 25th person to hold the elected position of Kendall County Coroner since the county's founding in 1841. The office operates 24 hours a day and is located in Yorkville on the campus of the Kendall County Government Complex.

Follow us on Social Media:

Medical Professionals: When reporting the passing of a patient, please immediately call (630) 553-4200 (24/7) and follow the prompts for reporting a death.

Address: Kendall County Forensic Science Center
               804 W. John St., Ste. A, Yorkville, IL 60560
               (Directly behind the Public Safety Center)
               

Phone:    (630) 553-4200
Fax:         (630) 553-4116
Email:     Click here to Contact Us

Administrative Office Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm (excluding government holidays)

On-Call Staff/Investigator Hours:
24 hours-a-day

Medical Professionals: When reporting the passing of a patient, please immediately call (630)553-4200 (24/7) and follow the prompts for reporting a death.

The Deaths Which Must Be Reported

The Kendall County Coroner requires that all deaths occurring within the boundaries of Kendall County be reported immediately, regardless of circumstances. However, in certain cases, the on-call investigator may refer the case to the patient's primary care physician after the report is received (known as a "jurisdiction declined case"). Below is a list of circumstances which may require a formal investigation by the Office of the Coroner:

• “D.O.A” (Dead on Arrival at a hospital, nursing home, home or any other place.)
• Sudden or violent death on the street, at home, in a public place or place of employment. The category includes, but is not limited to deaths caused by thermal, traumatic, chemical, electrical or radiation injuries, drowning or suffocation.
• Maternal or fetal death due to criminal abortion, or any death due to a sex crime or a crime against nature.
• Death where addiction to alcohol or drugs may have been a contributory factor.
• Death without medical attendance within the past year.
• Death which has occurred within 30 days of being exposed to a contagious disease (except COVID-19).
• Death which has occurred within 24 hours of being hospitalized.
• All deaths in institutions, including: a) mental health; b) penal or correctional; c) all wards of the State’s private care facilities (i.e. all public aid, mental health or developmental disabilities, or Department of Children and Family Services recipients.)
• All deaths where the circumstances are suspicious, obscure or mysterious.

Note: This list serves only as a guideline. If in doubt about any death, contact the Office of the Coroner.