What Happens to Unclaimed Bodies?

More often than most people think, unclaimed bodies arrive in morgues and hospitals on a daily basis. Usually these people have lost contact with their families prior to death, have no family or friends, or in some cases, have died in such a horrific fashion that they are completely unidentifiable. Each state and county has different procedures that they must follow in these cases. If 72 hours pass and no one comes forth to claim a body, there are usually numerous attempts made to locate a family member or even a friend who would claim the body and accept the responsibility of making and paying for funeral or memorial services for the deceased individual. An official next-of-kin notification is always circulated, and after a certain period of time, if no one has come forth to claim the body, the funeral and burial becomes the responsibility of that particular county.

Oftentimes, local funeral homes donate services for these individuals, on a rotational basis. Just like the funerals given by loved ones for the recently deceased, John and Jane Does are given highly regarded and proper funeral services and burials, as well. Just because their bodies were unclaimed doesn't mean that the person was any less special than anyone else was. Every human being deserves to be buried with dignity, no matter what the circumstances may happen to be.

In some cases, a family member or friend of the John or Jane Doe may eventually be located but are unable to financially provide appropriate funeral services. In situations like this, there is assistance available through the state, yet this only provides a small portion of the funeral costs. Other options may be payment plans, online memorials, which are substantially cheaper, and some funeral homes may even provide a certain amount of services each year at reduced prices, or even free of charge in some cases. Just because the family of a deceased loved one is indigent doesn't mean that their loved one deserves less than respectable arrangements or treatment.

Prior to the 19^th century, many unclaimed bodies, especially those who died in mental institutions and prisons in the United Kingdom were stolen and used for illegal trade and other unethical purposes. The corpses of executed murderers were also allowed to be dissected for experimental purposes. The Anatomical Act was passed in 1832 by the Puritans, which put an end to such treatment of corpses. The law also enabled medical schools to use unclaimed bodies for medical purposes, provided the appropriate methods were followed.

In the United States, depending on the specific circumstances in a case involving an unclaimed body, the cadaver may be donated to medical science for teaching and experimental purposes. The school receiving the donated body must follow proper procedures, including official application processes, and each body donated must be accompanied by a burial permit. Each donated body must also be properly registered by a licensed mortician prior to usage. The medical school assumes the responsibility of all the costs of transporting, registering, and preparing the body to be used for educational purposes, as well.

Many states now have laws allowing them to cremate the bodies of unclaimed individuals, if the required amount of time has passed without a claimant coming forth. Some claimants, however do come forth in the usual 30-day time period, yet are destitute and unable to take responsibility for the costs involved. In cases involving unclaimed bodies in the state of North Carolina where a family member does come forth but is unable to pay the necessary fees for transportation, funeral, etc., the State Medical Examiner is required to make preparations for cremation of the body. The remains will then be shipped to the claimant, free of charge.

Thanks to strict laws regarding unclaimed bodies, every person, regardless of how or where they died, or the specific circumstances regarding their situation, are able to be sent to their final resting place in an ethical and humane fashion, just like those with loving family members and friends who are able to provide traditional funerals.