Situation
Cleanup after a suicide
This page is for a family, a partner, a roommate or a landlord after a death by suicide. Nobody close to the person should have to clean the room. Before anything else, please look after yourself.
What happens first
The police respond, and the Office of State Medical Examiners takes charge, since suicide is one of the kinds of death it investigates (RIDOH). The family will be asked to choose a funeral home. The office calls that funeral home when the person can be released (RIDOH guidance for families).
Wait until the police say you can have the home or the car back before arranging cleanup. Until then, keep the room closed.
Asking for the cleanup
You do not have to describe the scene in detail on the phone. It is enough to say it was a suicide, which room or vehicle it was, and roughly when it happened.
Ask the company to tell you when the work is finished so that no one goes in before then. Ask too that personal items they find, such as a phone, letters or jewelry, are set aside for the family rather than thrown away.
If the death followed a violent act against the person by someone else, the victim compensation program may apply. For a suicide, insurance is the place to ask first.
When you are ready
There is no hurry to decide on the first call. You can ask questions, take a day, and call back.
Speak with an independent cleanup company
Call (401) 498-1593Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Calls may be recorded. More in the referral disclosure and privacy policy pages.