MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Inside of a freezer and a storage room are unclaimed remains that, according to Marshall County coroner Cody Nugent, have been stored for several years.
“We have numerous unclaimed individuals, and we finally created a page on our website that allowed a list to be published,” Nugent explained. “Hopefully, someone who may not have known they had someone that passed away can claim them and provide them with a proper disposition.”
Nugent says that there are currently 29 unclaimed remains at his office. He said that number is more than his office has held at one time. That’s partly what Nugent said because relatives cannot afford to pay for the cremation, otherwise known as indigent.
Nugent has chosen to the remains rather than scatter or dispose of the ashes after they go unclaimed for an extended period.
“We’re trying to educate our social workers and our health care workers on the difference between indigent individuals and unclaimed individuals because there is a difference in that,” said Nugent. “A lot of folks are under the impression that if you are unable to pay for the disposition of a loved one that you just need to abandon them and not do it, but that’s not the case. You can still accept the rights of disposition and take care of them and just allow the county, if qualified and come in and help pay for the cost of services.”
Nugent told News 19 that once they receive a body that they will do anything that they can in attempting to reach the family by searching military records, social media and even jail records. Anything that could lead them in the right direction.
The coroner said the State of Alabama requires a coroner to hold a body for a maximum of three days, but there is no requirement on the next steps.
The Marshall County Commission recently approved a private donation of a mausoleum to be used as a final resting place.
“We’ll hold those cremated remains until someone claims them, or we’ll place them in the mausoleum for permanent storage,” Nugent said.
The coroner’s office has created a database on their website for those who remained unclaimed.
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