County Morgue to donate bodies to science

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 3, 2011 4:30PM

The Tribune obtained a Sept. 27 memo from Cook County Medical Examiner Dr. Nancy Jones which specifies bodies left in the County Morgue for longer than two weeks will be donated to the Anatomic Gift Association if a family cannot afford a burial.

In the memo, Dr. Jones instructs Medical Examiner's Office investigators to notify police, hospitals and other reporting agencies to let those families know of the new policy. All bodies in the County Morgue where a next of kin cannot be found within two weeks will also be donated.

There are some exceptions to the policy. Bodies that test positive for HIV or AIDS, weigh over 300 pounds or are decomposed will be buried per county guidelines.

The Tribune received no comment from county officials regarding the memo but we wonder how this will sit with Sheriff Tom Dart. In Febuary, Dart criticized the way Dr. Jones' office handled the burial of John Does and other bodies in paupers' graves. Dr. Jones' memo will inadvertently lead to a reduction in the number of bodies buried in such a fashion. Another question will be how the new policy will be affected if legislation proposed by State Rep. William Cunningham, Dart's former chief of staff, requiring coroners to collect DNA evidence for unclaimed bodies and John Does, ever passes. HB 1457 is currently re-referred to the Illinois State House's Rule Committee.