## Overview The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York (OCME) is a pioneering agency within municipal government, responsible for investigating and determining the causes and manners of deaths that occur in New York City under legally specified circumstances—including those resulting from violence, accident, suicide, sudden death in apparent health, unattended deaths, deaths in custody, or any case deemed suspicious or unusual[3][4]. Its findings are crucial for the criminal justice system, public health, and bereaved families seeking closure and answers[4]. ## History OCME was established on January 1, 1918, following a 1915 act of the New York State Legislature that abolished the politically appointed coroner system in favor of a professional, scientifically grounded medical examiner’s office[1][3][5]. Dr. Charles Norris became the first Chief Medical Examiner, setting a precedent for the integration of forensic science into death investigation[3][8]. The office was the first of its kind in the United States, and it quickly became a leader in forensic innovation, founding the nation’s first toxicology laboratory in 1918 and the first serology laboratory in 1938, both at Bellevue Hospital[1][4]. In 1933, New York University established the country’s first Department of Forensic Medicine, further cementing the city’s role at the forefront of forensic science[1]. ## Key Achievements OCME’s legacy is marked by several milestones: it was instrumental in professionalizing death investigation, replacing the coroner system with a model based on medical expertise and impartiality[3][7]. The office has trained more forensic pathologists than any other jurisdiction in the country and continues to innovate, maintaining the largest public DNA crime laboratory in the world and the only molecular genetics laboratory housed in a medical examiner’s office in the U.S.[4]. OCME’s mass fatality management team is internationally recognized for its expertise