The Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved contracts with three Fort Worth businesses to handle the burial process for unclaimed bodies.
The contracts come after the county had to establish its own policy regarding unclaimed bodies, as required by state law, in October 2024 after it ended the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office partnership program with the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.
That program ended in September 2024 after an investigation by NBC News found the center was leasing out body parts across the country without properly contacting family members for consent.
After reporters for NBC shared their findings with Tarrant County Judge Tim O’ Hare, his office released a statement disavowing the use of bodies for research without consent.
The office promised to “look at all legal options available to end any and all immoral, unethical, and irresponsible practices stemming from this program.”
Now the county will pay for burial and cremation services from the three businesses on an as-needed basis.
The county will make three attempts, 24 hours apart, to contact a person's family member or person mentioned in their will before cremating the body, according to the new policy.
The annual cost of the new policy is unclear, and O'Hare asked staff at Tuesday's commissioners court meeting to get more specific on cost in the future, rather than just saying it will be paid for when the services are required.
Dylan Duke is KERA's summer 2025 SPJ news intern. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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