Unclaimed Bodies Used for Medical Research Without Families' Consent
An investigation reveals unethical practices at a Texas medical center, where unclaimed bodies were dissected, sold, and used for profit without notifying families.
- NBC News uncovered that over 2,300 unclaimed bodies were sent to the University of North Texas Health Science Center since 2019, with many used for research and training without family consent.
- Families were often not contacted or misinformed about their loved ones' deaths, leading to outrage and despair when they learned the bodies were used for medical purposes.
- Aurimar Iturriago Villegas, a 21-year-old Venezuelan migrant, was murdered in 2022, and her body parts were sold and used for medical training despite her family's efforts to repatriate her remains.
- The Health Science Center has since suspended its body donation program, fired key officials, and pledged to stop using unclaimed bodies following the investigation.
- The investigation highlights systemic failures in how unclaimed bodies are handled, raising ethical concerns about consent and the treatment of vulnerable individuals and their families.
NBC News 
People 
San Antonio Express-News 
