§ 86-3. Disposition of bodies of unidentified persons.

(a)

Removal to hospital. Any unidentified person who shall die in the city, whose relatives are unknown by the person assuming to take charge of the body, shall be immediately removed to Grady Hospital, where the dead body shall be placed in a room subject to the orders of the medical examiner of Fulton County or DeKalb County, whichever has jurisdiction of the body.

(b)

Examination of remains. The authorities of Grady Hospital shall, on receipt of the remains, examine them for identification, place all effects in a proper receptacle and hold the body for a period of eight hours, awaiting identification by relatives.

(c)

Notice to police. Immediately upon the receipt of the dead body, the superintendent of Grady Hospital shall notify the department of police if it appears that the department has not been previously advised. The department shall immediately make fingerprints of the deceased person and use the prints in an effort to effect the person's identification. The department of police shall record carefully every mark of identification which may be found on the dead body and make a permanent record thereof. The personal description so far as ascertainable shall be entered, which shall include the weight, height, the color of hair, the sex, the race and any other feature which might aid in identification.

(d)

Delivery to funeral director. Except as otherwise ordered by the medical examiner, if the body should not be identified and claimed by relatives within eight hours, the remains shall be under the direction of the medical examiner, and at the direction of the medical examiner the remains shall be sent to a reputable funeral directing establishment in the city by the hospital authorities for the purpose of embalming and preservation of the remains.

(e)

Autopsies. No autopsies or postmortems are to be held on the remains of the person, except upon the order of the medical examiner or upon the written order of the nearest of kin, and then only when the order shall have the approval of the medical examiner.

(f)

Surrender of remains. The remains shall not be surrendered by the hospital to any funeral director, except as provided in this section, for the purpose of embalming, except upon the written order of the medical examiner or upon written order of the next of kin delivered to the hospital with the written approval of the medical examiner.

(Code 1977, § 14-7002)

State law reference

Georgia Death Investigation Act, O.C.G.A. § 45-16-20 et seq.