GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prosecutors sometimes have to make difficult decisions about whether to order an autopsy when it’s not clear how someone died.

Those decisions are part of the county attorney’s coroner role to determine the cause of death.

State law requires autopsies for anyone younger than 19, and the procedure is routinely ordered when there is no clear explanation for a death.

Hall County Attorney Jack Zitterkopf says he tries not to order an autopsy if there aren’t suspicious circumstances. But it’s a tougher call when a 40-year-old dies with no apparent explanation.

When someone dies in their 90s or after a recent hospital stay, he says those decisions are easier.