Lake County Coroner's Office Works to Find Proper Burial for Unclaimed

For the first time in 10 years, the Lake County Coroner's Office (LCCO) has cleared the backlog of long-term stored decedents. The bodies of the deceased individuals were stored at the Coroner's Office because no family or next of kin had claimed them, and therefore there was no one to pay for a proper burial. 

In 2011, the Coroner's Office made it a priority to clear this backlog and finally lay these bodies to rest. Some of the bodies had been there for several years, even dating back to June 2008. 

"In order to provide a proper burial to the decedents, our deputies conducted thorough background checks and other research to find family members or other programs to help with burial costs," explained Lake County Coroner, Artis Yancey. 

In some cases the office was able to locate family members to claim the body. In other cases, it was determined that the decedent was a veteran and the LCCO was able to utilize veterans programs to cover the burial costs.

With responsible and diligent attention to each of these cases, the LCCO was able to clear the backlog and provide closure to the deceased and their families.

This news release is from the Lake County Coroner's Office.