If no relative comes forward to claim the body, or if the family or estate is unable to bear the cost of burial, the disposition of the decedent becomes the financial and practical responsibility of the county in which the death occurred (see Miss. Code Ann. § 41-39-5). If the decedent is unidentified, the remains will be held at the State Medical Examiner’s Office until a positive identification can be made and the remains released to the next-of-kin. Under certain circumstances (i.e., body donation) the State Medical Examiner’s Office may retain custody of the remains indefinitely.
