The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System catalogs an unclaimed person case for a male named Daryl Keith Carroll associated with Memphis, Tennessee, under NamUs case number 149920. This listing places the matter within NamUs’s nationwide repository for unclaimed decedents, a system designed to centralize records and aid resolution by connecting investigative agencies, forensic resources, and potential family contacts.
Within Memphis and Shelby County, unclaimed decedent cases are customarily handled under the jurisdiction of the Shelby County Medical Examiner through the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center operated by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The center serves as the regional hub for sudden, unexpected, or unattended deaths, coordinating examinations and record-keeping and acting as the custodian of remains while next-of-kin inquiries proceed. The WTRFC is located at 637 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, with a main contact number of 222-4600.
NamUs supports these cases with standardized procedures intended to verify identity and locate relatives. Case managers and partner agencies use demographic details, investigative notes, and, when available, biometrics such as fingerprints, dental records, and DNA to cross-match the decedent with missing-person reports. Cold case advisors can assist by coordinating forensic services and advising investigators on collecting and comparing records, while the NamUs application continuously evaluates potential matches across its databases. These measures are designed to either connect the decedent to family for notification and release or, failing that, to document exhaustive efforts made to identify and notify next of kin.
Tennessee’s statutory framework provides the protocol for handling unclaimed remains when next of kin cannot be found. Under state guidance, county medical examiners lead death investigations and, after appropriate notice and statutory holding periods, may authorize final disposition of unclaimed bodies to prevent indefinite storage. This process balances the need for dignified disposition with the continuing obligation to pursue identification and family notification if new leads emerge.
Date Found: 07/20/2025
