INDIANAPOLIS — There's now a monument at an Indianapolis cemetery honoring the lives of more than 170 people whose remains were never claimed.
The He Knows Your Name ministry was behind the monument at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens.
A marker lists the names of each unclaimed person buried there.
The ministry's founder said it's now a permanent place where each of the 173 people can be remembered.
Marion County Chief Deputy Coroner Alfie McGinty said when the coroner’s office receives a body, workers then try to notify next of kin, family or friends to claim the body. The office actually keeps the body refrigerated for 30-60 days to try to give loved ones time to come forward. Each day of refrigeration costs about $40.
If no one comes forward in about two months, the body is cremated. Those cost about $350. Loved ones are expected to take on those costs if they come later to claim the remains.
The remains will then be brought to Oaklawn Memorial Gardens and put into an ossuary. Once placed in the container, the remains cannot be retrieved.