Louisiana investigates improper cremations - disposal of Katrina victims at issue

Chicago Tribune ^ | 10/30/05 | Maurice Possley, John McCormick

[Libloather]

Louisiana investigates improper cremations
Disposal of Katrina victims at issue

By Maurice Possley and John McCormick, Tribune staff reporters. Maurice Possley reported from Baton Rouge and John McCormick from Chicago
Published October 30, 2005

BATON ROUGE, La. -- As hundreds of Louisiana families wait to claim the bodies of loved ones still lying anonymously in crowded morgues, the state medical examiner is investigating at least one parish coroner for allegedly disposing of Hurricane Katrina victims improperly.

"We have been informed that there have been cremations of evacuees, either identified or unidentified, without the consent of the next of kin and without the consent" of the coroner in the resident's home parish, according to a memo from state officials obtained by the Tribune. "Please be advised that there should be no evacuees cremated without proper consent and authorization."

The memo, marked urgent and faxed to Louisiana's 64 coroner offices, cited an executive order signed by Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Sept. 19 that gave the state's medical examiner control over the disposal of the remains of those who died during and after the Aug. 29 storm.

"There have been some questionable practices," conceded Dr. Louis Cataldie, appointed to the newly created position of state medical examiner to oversee the identification of the dead. "There is a northern parish that has a problem."

**SNIP**

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Death toll

Hurricane Katrina left more than 1,300 people dead when it smashed through the South in late August.

Louisiana officials last week said 1,062 bodies have been recovered. In Mississippi, officials put the toll at 228. Florida's toll is 11 dead, and Alabama and Georgia each reported 2 killed.

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mpossley@tribune.com

mccormickj@tribune.com

[GVnana]

No offense to our good Louisiana Freepers, but the government there just can't seem to get it's act together.

[mtbopfuyn]

This is beyond ridiculous. Families shouldn't still be waiting for their loved ones. Any funeral director who cremates bodies without authorization should have their license revoked and face criminal charges.

[caver]

Even if they did do this, so what? Bodies are deteriorating and will be causing disease and other bad stuff. They need to be disposed of and quickly.

Everyone is looking for someone to point the finger at. Yes, I would like to claim my love ones bodies,but these were extraordinary circumstances. At times like these, somebody might decide to get rid of extra corpses. How many refigeration units would be needed to keep all of them on ice?

[CommandoFrank]

there have been cremations of evacuees, either identified or unidentified

Hey, this is a master plan to get the city above sea level. Gotta get the fill from somewhere...

[caryatid]

After 911, it took years, not weeks, to deal with the remains of victims ...

Unusual circumstances require unusual measures ...

Sufficient "refrigerators" are in place. FEMA and/or the State of LA have a contract with a company to provide the facilities.

They are making a valiant effort to identify the dead to allow "closure" for the families of the victims.

[Nebr FAL owner]

Bearing in mind that there are on going investigations of people being euthanized in hospitals & nursing homes.

Then there is the claim of 5 Deputies from New Mexico that were in NOLA as volunteers of at least 1 person in memorial hospital in surgical scrubs found on a exam table shot in the head & raped. but now the cops in NOLA can't find any trace of this incident.

The possibility of evidence of crimes being destroyed deliberately is not beyond belief.

[bayourant]

Yeah I tell you that whole Coroner thing is a mess. McCormick was brilliant but a major jerk to deal with. One of my jobs at the DA office unfort was to placate him while he was awaiting to testfy. Basically if you got him talking about hinself(his fav topic) he would be good for hours

[GVnana]

McCormick didn't believe in organizations and files?

[LA Woman3]

"We have been informed that there have been cremations of evacuees, either identified or unidentified, without the consent of the next of kin and without the consent" of the coroner in the resident's home parish, according to a memo from state officials obtained by the Tribune. "Please be advised that there should be no evacuees cremated without proper consent and authorization."

Shouldn't they be referred to as hurricane victims instead of evacuees?

[caver]

Yes, I 've heard of some of those reports. They also may fallinto the category of all the rapes, etc. that supposedly went on in the Dome.

But I do agree, the possibility of evidence being destroyed is believeable. It seems as though just about anything that we previously thought couldn't happen, did happen.