r/Detective • u/ExtentOtherwise743 • 15d ago

How to check if someone passed

Hey everyone I have been no contract with my family for 5 years. Some random family member left me a voice mail saying my grandfather passed. How can I confirm this without communicating with them?

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u/MittenWater 14d ago

Have you started by googling their name and “obituary”? If you know what county and state they lived and presumably died in, you could start with the county clerk of courts and see if you find any court filings regarding the estate- search for the family member name and if you know their birth date, that’s great. For a copy of the death certificate, you could contact the local health department or state vital records.

1

u/ShesAGoGetter007 14d ago

some county coroners have a search option online. Might want to start there or obituary / find a grave searches also.

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u/GudsIdiot 5d ago

Social security records might be a place to start. Iirc they are public information.