death of US citizen proceedures

zmth

New member
May 30, 2006
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How is the death of a US citizen handled in Dominican republic say for example in the capital? Want to make sure they
are not going to do any autopsy say for example in a suicide. Will they release the body to the butchers upon prior
arrangements to stay and hang in the cold until Alcor arrives from USA ? Need to make sure they will not keep body
in the heat for a very long time.
 

charlise

Bronze
Nov 1, 2012
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As far as I know, all non-Dominican are autopsied... That's the law... As to keep people in the morgue before someone comes for the body, you better hurry just in case... Some times the freezer don't work...
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
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You kill 'em, they chill 'em and slice 'em up to find out what did it.

It is the law in the DR for all foreigners to be autopsied.
 

KateP

Silver
May 28, 2004
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To my knowledge it's not actually a law (unless it's a violent death or there is suspicion of foul play) but rather routine procedure that is basically accepted as mandatory. The autopsy is done at INACIF and then the remains are transferred to the local funeral home which will handle the repatriation of the remains or cremation. The quicker you coordinate with them, the less time the remains will spend at INACIF. Funeraria Blandino for example handles international repatriations and have top notch installations to store remains.
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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what difference does it make to cut up the dead? and even then, the "autopsy" thing is often very superficial here, so to speak. nothing like doctor g from discovery channel. as far as the storage, one rots the same under a slab of marble and in a cheap coffin. the body will not be kept for long anyway. if unclaimed it will be buried by the state. so you better pick it up quickly.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
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Contact the Embassy. They are pretty good at handling the arrangements for the deceased locally and for repatriation if that is what you want to do. You still have to pay for the flight but the Embassy knows that at a time like this most are too freaked out to deal with the details and a foreign bureaucracy.

If there is a valid reason to request an autopsy not be performed (ie. religious beliefs, a cryogenic contract etc) the Embassy will have more sway than the family with authorities here; no guarantees.

If foul play is expected, expect an autopsy and potential delay in having the remains released. Dying is inconvenient, don't do it.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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Is suicide foul play? I suspect it is. I have seen posts here where nobody has ever heard of a foreigner that died in the DR that did not have an autopsy. Of course those posts could have been wrong.

As DV8 mentions, once someone is dead, what difference does it make?

How soon will we be hearing about this on the news at 11?
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
4,305
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ive had two friends pass away in d.r. and fowl play??? yes of course one was hit by car and other kept sort of prisoner by detoriating health and with 1800$us dollars every month there was never any money to go to dr...
 

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
14,107
595
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ive had two friends pass away in d.r. and fowl play??? yes of course one was hit by car and other kept sort of prisoner by detoriating health and with 1800$us dollars every month there was never any money to go to dr...

Oh boy.....................

fowl.jpg
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
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my understanding is in all countries non citizens deaths are auto autopsy. Just makes sense. Does not have to be extensive work up, just a simple procedure and toxicology screen.
 

AlterEgo

Administrator
Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
23,097
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South Coast
How is the death of a US citizen handled in Dominican republic say for example in the capital? Want to make sure they
are not going to do any autopsy say for example in a suicide. Will they release the body to the butchers upon prior
arrangements to stay and hang in the cold until Alcor arrives from USA ? Need to make sure they will not keep body
in the heat for a very long time.

Can you tell us where you are located in DR?
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
Does not have to be extensive work up, just a simple procedure and toxicology screen.

that's what i've heard. if someone was shot in the head in front of 5 people there is no need to cut up the body. only basic check is performed.
 

hammerdown

Bronze
Apr 29, 2005
1,466
107
63
If the foreigner dies in a hospital there is no autopsy, dead by shoot-out or car accident no autopsy, but all other cases they are referred to the coroner in either STI or SDQ.
The family is responsible for the travel (in an approved govt carrier...$$$$) to and from the autopsy site, and also the family has to pay for the autopsy.....
I am familiar with the extortion they do here and prices go from anywhere from $RD80k to upwards of $200k, and if the family doesn't pay up they are cremated......
There is a max window of 30 days that they are kept in the morgue and after that, cremated
They don't bury them because they can charge someone else for that particular plot.
 

ohmmmm

Bronze
Jun 11, 2010
619
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48
When my USA citizen relative (86 years old) passed away here at a hospital 1.5 years ago, we immediately started with the paperwork at the hospital. The body was transferred to the Morgue in Santo Domingo or Santiago (can't remember where) where an autopsy was performed by the coroner. I was told it was mandatory for a USA citizen.

The paperwork at the hospital contained the person who passed away's personal information including a copy of the first page of the passport and her social security number. The paperwork was transfered to the morgue in Santo Domingo or Santiago. I contacted the funeral home Funeraria Blandino who made arrangements with the morgue to pick up the body, deliver the paperwork to the USA embassy, request a USA certificate of death (I requested 8 copies), to arrange a cremation and to arrange the proper forms and container to transport the remains back to the USA. The only thing the Funeral home could not do is pick up the death certificates from the US consulate office in Santo Domingo. I had the choice of transporting the remains with me on a plane to the USA for the funeral or to have the Funeral Home transport the remains for me.

The cost of the funeral home for transportation back to the USA was about $500 to $600. I chose to take my relatives remains with me back to the USA on my flight back home for burial, which required a special sealed container. The container and paperwork to do that was $150 to $200 if I remember. I think everything in total cost between $1,800 to $2,200. Not sure how much exactly. It was a very emotional and stressful time.

I remember the paperwork taking a while to get finished. Maybe it was three weeks to four weeks for everything to be done. I went to Santo Domingo from the North Coast once and the paperwork wasn't exactly correct so I had to go there twice. Funeraria Blandino did a great job for me and handled about everything they could as easily as they possible. They were very kind and explained options and costs and procedures relatively clearly which made things a lot easier.
 
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Aug 6, 2006
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For what it is worth:

Embajada de los EE.UU. US Embassy, Avenida Republica de Colombia, Arroyo Hondo, Santo Domingo.
Emergency telephone: 809-567-7775
Mon-Thurs, 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Fridays, 7:30-11:30 AM

victims of crime, 24/7, Ave R?milo Betancourt 301, Santo Domingo
809-533-6668 ext. 57.

There is other Embassy stuff online, of course.

Useful info, hope no one ever needs it.
 

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
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yahoomail.com
You won't need a "Death Certificate" you can just use the photos that WILL BE POSTED on face book to show the relatives!

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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The cost of the funeral home for transportation back to the USA was about $500 to $600. I chose to take my relatives remains with me back to the USA on my flight back home for burial, which required a special sealed container. The container and paperwork to do that was $150 to $200 if I remember. I think everything in total cost between $1,800 to $2,200. Not sure how much exactly.

not a bad price, if i may say. i have arranged to have my remains cremated and sent home and i suspect it will be a lot more than that.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
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If the foreigner dies in a hospital there is no autopsy, dead by shoot-out or car accident no autopsy, but all other cases they are referred to the coroner in either STI or SDQ.
The family is responsible for the travel (in an approved govt carrier...$$$$) to and from the autopsy site, and also the family has to pay for the autopsy.....
I am familiar with the extortion they do here and prices go from anywhere from $RD80k to upwards of $200k, and if the family doesn't pay up they are cremated......
There is a max window of 30 days that they are kept in the morgue and after that, cremated
They don't bury them because they can charge someone else for that particular plot.

Free cremation! Great news. Don't you think Dv8?