Scenes from the aftermath in Oakland:
stories of victims, survivors and healers.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Coming Up: Morgue Tour, Oakland

The Alameda County Coroner's Bureau charges a family $321 for the transfer of a body from the morgue, near Jack London Square, to a funeral home. If the deceased is a homicide victim or a child, the cost is $67. After the fourth day, the fee for storage of a body is $85 per day. Survivors are not permitted to see the body at the coroner's bureau, but only at a funeral home. Funeral homes have various charges for picking up a body from the morgue. But, what happens when a family can't afford the cost of the transfer? The father of 23-year-old Hyman Taylor and the mother of 15-year-old Keylow Colston struggled with this issue over the summer. Next: their complex stories.