There shall be vested in coroners-medical examiners all the authority now or hereafter vested in coroners by the laws of Alabama, including the authority which Section oath of jurors” class=”unlinked-ref” datatype=”S” sessionyear=”2020″ statecd=”AL” title=”15″>15-4-1, vests in coroners and to make inquiry of the facts and circumstances of the death of any person who has been killed or has suddenly died under such circumstances as to afford a reasonable ground for belief that such death has been occasioned by the act of another by unlawful means, and the authority of the section vests in coroners to submit to a judge of a court of record or a district attorney, sworn written statements of witnesses having personal knowledge of such circumstances, and to summon, upon direction of such judge or district attorney, a jury to inquire into the cause and manner of such person’s death.