For five years, unclaimed bodies from Dallas and Tarrant counties were sent to the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth for medical research purposes. The bodies were assessed for their usefulness, with those that tested positive for diseases or were decomposing being cremated. The remaining bodies were embalmed or placed in freezers, with some used for training future medical professionals and others leased out to various institutions.
While using unclaimed bodies for research is legal and cost-effective, an NBC News investigation revealed that several families were not informed about what happened to their missing relatives whose bodies were donated to the program. Following the investigation, the Health Science Center stopped using unclaimed bodies, fired officials of the body donation program, and apologized to affected families. More families have since come forward, expressing shock and sadness at the thought of their loved ones’ bodies being used for research without consent.
To help families find answers, NBC News has published a database of over 1,800 individuals whose bodies were given to the Health Science Center by the two counties since 2019. The information was obtained through open records requests from the county medical examiners. This situation has raised concerns about the ethical implications of using unclaimed bodies for research without proper consent or communication with families.
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