INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Marion County Coroner’s Office is asking the public to help locate families of people who died in 2024 and remain unclaimed.
Coroner Alfarena McGinty said Thursday that the office holds unclaimed cremated remains from 2024. Families have until April 23 to come forward.
“We’re going to make sure the community is educated on this, which is what we do, and how we honor those who have died, who have been in our care and custody,” the Democratic coroner said.
Under Indiana practice, coroner’s offices hold cremated remains for two years following a death.
After that time period, in Marion County, the office holds a ceremony to honor those still unclaimed. McGinty said, “So we hold those descendants in the cremains status for the two years following, then we’ll have a ceremony to honor them. Call their name. Give them dignity.”
Public ceremony set for May 15
The office will honor unclaimed remains at a public ceremony on May 15 at Floral Park Cemetery, 425 N, Holt Road. McGinty said the event serves as a reminder of why the office makes the list public.
She recalled a city official who found an old friend’s name on the unclaimed list years ago. “There was Councilor (Dan) Boots. He had a high school friend that was on our list from several years ago, and the group of high school friends really wanted to get the cremains. However, they let their friend be a part of the ceremony and now they have a place where they can all go and see their friend’s name on the plaque in the cemetery.”
The Marion County Coroner’s Office will keep the list of unclaimed people’s remains public until the April 23 deadline. After that date, those remains still unclaimed will be included in the May ceremony and interred at Floral Park Cemetery with a permanent plaque.
How to check the list
The Marion County Coroner’s Office posts the names of unclaimed people’s remains on its website. Families who believe a relative may be on the list are urged to contact the office before April 23.
The office said its goal is to return as many remains as possible to family members before the ceremony.
