INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County Coroner’s Office is asking the public to help locate families of people who died in 2024 and remain unclaimed.
Coroner Alfarena McGinty said the office currently holds unclaimed cremated remains from 2024. Families have until April 23, 2026, to come forward.
“We’re going to make sure the community is educated on this, which is what we do, and how we honor those who have died, who have been in our care and custody,” McGinty said.
Under state practice, the office holds the cremated remains for two years following death. After that, the office holds a ceremony to honor those still unclaimed.
“So we hold those descendants in the cremains status for the two years following, then we'll have a ceremony to honor them,” McGinty said. “Call their name. Give them dignity.”
The office will honor unclaimed remains at a public ceremony on Friday, May 15, at Floral Park Cemetery.
McGinty said the event serves as a reminder of why the office makes the list public. She recalled a city official who found an old friend’s name on the unclaimed list years ago.
“There was Councilor Boots,” McGinty said. “He had a high school friend that was on our list from several years ago and the group of high school friends really wanted to get the cremains. However, they let their friend be a part of the ceremony and now they have a place where they can all go and see their friend’s name on the plaque in the cemetery.”
The coroner’s office keeps the list of unclaimed individuals public until the April 23 deadline. After that date, those still unclaimed will be included in the May ceremony and interred at Floral Park Cemetery with a permanent plaque.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office posts the names of unclaimed individuals on its website. Families who believe a relative may be on the list are urged to contact the office before April 23.
The office said its goal is to return as many remains as possible to family members before the ceremony.
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