On March 4, 2011, the body of a man identified as William-Arthur Harris was discovered in Steilacoom, Washington. The case was handled by the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, located at 3619 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma, Washington. Initial investigations revealed that Mr. Harris passed away due to natural causes. Despite efforts to notify family members, it was reported that Mr. Harris's brother chose not to claim his remains.
Following protocol, Mr. Harris's body was cremated. However, the cremated remains remained unclaimed for over a year. This posed a challenge for the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office, which was responsible for the respectful and ethical handling of unclaimed remains. Throughout this period, the staff reached out to potential relatives and explored other avenues in hopes that someone would step forward to claim him, but their efforts were to no avail.
Ultimately, in accordance with the agency’s policy for unclaimed remains, the staff of the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office held a ceremony on August 30, 2017, during which Mr. Harris’s ashes were scattered at sea. This ceremony was conducted with the intent to provide a dignified and respectful final resting place for Mr. Harris, despite his not being claimed by family or friends. The case, filed under Agency Case Number 11-0464 and recorded in the Namus database with ID UCP3192, highlights the complexities and challenges faced by medical examiners when handling unclaimed individuals while ensuring their dignified handling in death. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office can be contacted at 253-798-6494 for more information regarding these procedures or other related inquiries.
Date Found: 04/03/2011
