The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is the statewide agency designated by law to investigate deaths that are sudden and unexpected, result from injury, occur under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, or when a person is not attended by a physician.

Along with the medicolegal responsibility to determine cause and manner of death​, OCME serves a critical public health role by identifying injury trends and emerging infectious diseases that may pose risks​ to Marylanders.