How to Find Out If Someone Is Dead & the Date?

Your newspaper Obituaries section can tell you if someone has died.

If you lost touch with someone over the years, you may want to know how that person is. However, if you know that the person has been sick or aging, you may wonder if he is still alive. You have a few ways of finding out the person's possible death, including the date. Some methods, such as the Internet and the public library, cost nothing. Other methods may charge you a fee. No matter how you find out, you should be prepared if you find out the person is gone.

Things You'll Need

• Pen and paper

Instructions

1. Record the person's full name, date of birth and place of residence. Write down anything else you know about the person such as his last address. Use this information to conduct your research.

2. Visit the library in your town, or the town where the person resided. Ask the librarian for access to the periodicals and newspapers. Look through the "Obituaries" section to find out if the person died.

3. Search through the Social Security Death Index, a free search offered to everyone. Search by the person's name to find out if there is a death certificate on file.

4. Look for the person on a public record website such as Legacy, Intelius or Public Record Search Online. These websites only provide you limited information for free, such as the date of death. If you want to find out more about the person, you must pay a fee.

5. Hire a private detective, if none of the other methods work. This may also be your only option if you have very little information on the person.

References

• The Free Library: How to Find Out if Someone Died or where Someone Is Buried

Resources

• Roots Web: Social Security Death Index (SSDI)
• Legacy: Search Obituaries
• Intelius: People Search
• Public Record Search Online: Family Member Died