{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-72.450","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 72.450","heading":"Disposal of body and valuables found thereon.","body":"(1) (a) A coroner who has possession of a dead body or a part thereof shall make a\nbona fide attempt of at least thirty (30) days to notify the spouse, if any, or\nnext of kin of the decedent's death. In the event the coroner is unable to locate\nthe spouse, if any, or next of kin, or if the spouse or next of kin does not take\npossession of the deceased, he or she may cause the body to be:\n1. Buried; or\n2. Cremated and interred;\nat the expense of the fiscal court, consolidated local government, or urban -\ncounty government, whichever is appropriate.\n(b) The decision between burial or cremation and interment shall be made by the\nfiscal court, consolidated local government, or urban -county government that\nhas responsibility for the expense pursuant to this subsection.\n(c) If a fiscal court, consolidated local government, or urban -county government\nhas responsibility for the expense pursuant to this subsection, it shall consult\nwith:\n1. The local county coroner before it makes the decision between burial or\ncremation and interment; and\n2. If the decedent is known to be a member of a religious community, any\nsuch religious community that has expressed, in writing, a willingness to\nthe local county coroner that it will pay for, or otherwise provide, the\nburial expense of the community's members.\n(2) In the event the body is buried or cremated and interred at public expense, the\ncoroner shall take possession of all money or other property found on or belonging\nto the decedent and shall deliver same to the fiscal court, consolidated local\ngovernment, or urban-county government, whichever is appropriate. Any money or\nother property found on the body of the decedent or belonging to him or her shall be\ndelivered by the coroner to the fiscal court, consolidated local government, or\nurban-county government, w hichever is appropriate, to help defray burial or\ncremation and interment expenses. Any excess funds shall escheat to such\ngovernmental agency one (1) year thereafter.\n(3) In lieu of having an unclaimed body buried or cremated and interred at public\nexpense, the coroner may deliver such body or part thereof to a state medical school\nin accordance with the provisions of KRS 311.300 to 311.350.","path":["KRS Chapter 72"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57645","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:33Z","sha256":"567b4b4740b84d3258fe6572b0d7e9491049037ec146d7e8048f3441b1901b69","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-72.445","next":"us-ky/krs-72.455"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}