I am trying to look up a death date in Massachusetts in 1996, and I would expect to find something public online. But all I am finding are commercial web sites where you have to pay to get the info. I did find one with a 14-day free trial but I don’t want to mess with that and don’t think I should have to. I also tried searching newspaper obituaries.
So is this stuff available publicly online for free? If not, why not?
I don’t need this info anymore, can a mod please lock this? Thanks.
How much info do you need about the death? You can search the Social Security Death Index online for free. When I searched for my grandfather, just as a test, I also got links to two different newspaper obituaries of him.
Your public library probably subscribes to a bunch of good databases.
Just for a death date, the Social Security Death Index is available in a million places. Here’s just one.
Don’t lock it, a lot of people may want the same information.
Those are great! Thanks everyone!!! 
Remember not states consider death records as public records, for instance they are not public records in Illinois.
I might add to check local papers for obituaries, they can help find info too. Often you can get the info free from a library holding the paper’s archives
Most persons legally in Massachusetts in 1996 would have an SS number. Just Google SSDI and enter the name to get a free date and, I believe, a place of death. Sometimes a bit of other information too before you have to subscribe to something.