Cook County clarifies policy on unclaimed bodies

The Cook County medical examiner says her staff won’t donate unclaimed bodies to science if the deceased person’s family objects.

Chief Medical Examiner Nancy Jones sent a memo to her investigators last month saying that families who didn’t have money for burial would be told they had two weeks to make arrangements or their relative’s remains would be donated for research.

But the memo didn’t tell staff that the agreement between the county and the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois required the family’s consent.

The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that Jones since has clarified the policy to her staff. She says if a family objects to donating the body, it will be buried by the county.

The AGA also will wait 60 days to allow families time to object.