1,800 names of unclaimed bodies sent to Texas medical school, thousands remain unclaimed

The University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth has been using unclaimed bodies from Dallas and Tarrant counties for medical research, embalming them or storing them in freezers for use in training future healthcare professionals or leasing them out to medical schools, the U.S. Army, and for-profit companies. This practice has been seen as a cost-effective way to advance medicine while saving taxpayers money on burial costs. However, a recent NBC News investigation revealed that at least a dozen families were not informed about the use of their loved ones’ bodies, prompting the Health Science Center to halt the program, fire officials, and issue apologies. Since then, nine more families have come forward with similar experiences. The families expressed shock and sadness at the thought of their relatives being studied, dissected, and sent across the country without their consent. To help these families find answers, NBC News has published a database of over 1,800 names of individuals whose bodies were given to the Health Science Center by the counties since 2019, obtained through open records requests. This controversy highlights the ethical concerns surrounding the use of unclaimed bodies for medical research and the importance of transparency and consent in such practices.

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