LIZ KREUTZ TONIGHT WITH A LOOK AT HOW WIDESPREAD THIS
PRACTICE MAY BE.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A
LUCRATIVE BUSINESS.
A STATE MEDICAL SCHOOL
NEAR DALLAS MAKING
MONEY BY DISSECTING,
STUDYING, AND
EXPORTING HUNDREDS OF
UNCLAIMED BODIES.
BUT AFTER A NEARLY
YEAR-LONG
INVESTIGATION BY NBC
NEWS, THE SCHOOL,
WHICH INITIALLY
DEFENDED THE PRACTICE,
MADE A STUNNING
REVERSAL AND SUSPENDED
THE PROGRAM.
>> WE WERE COMPLETELY
FAILED BY THE ENTIRE
SYSTEM.
>> Reporter: DESPITE
THE CHANGE, FOR MANY
OF THE FAMILIES
IMPACTED LIKE MICHAEL
COLEMAN’S, THERE IS
STILL SO MUCH LEFT
UNANSWERED.
>> I USED TO CRY ALL
DAY, EVERY DAY.
NOW I JUST CRY AT
LEAST ONCE EVERY DAY.
>> Reporter: COLEMAN’S
FIANCEE LOUISA AND HIS
SISTERS THEY AND TISHA
SPENT MONTHS SEARCHING
FOR HIM AFTER HE
DIDN’T COME HOME.
IT TURNS OUT HE HAD
DIED, POSSIBLY HIT BY
A CAR NEAR HIS
APARTMENT.
WITHIN DAYS, MICHAEL
COLEMAN’S FAMILY BEGAN
SEARCHING THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD, EVEN
PUTTING UP MISSING
PERSON FLYERS, ALL
WHILE MICHAEL WAS
LANGUISHING IN A
HOSPITAL MINUTES AWAY.
BUT DESPITE THE FAMILY
CALLING THE HOSPITAL,
CALLING POLICE,
CALLING THE MEDICAL
EXAMINER’S OFFICE,
NOBODY CONNECTED THE
DOTS.
WHEN THE FAMILY
FINALLY DID, IT WAS
TOO LATE.
THE HEALTH SCIENCE
CENTER WAS ALREADY
PREPARING HIS BODY FOR
A 12 TO 24-MONTH
STUDY.
>> I TOLD THE LADY,
GIVE HIS BODY BACK.
AND SHE WAS LIKE WELL,
NO BECAUSE HE WAS
DONATED TO US.
HE WAS WRONGFULLY
DONATED TO Y’ALL.
>> Reporter: TEN
COMPANIES AND MEDICAL
SCHOOLS THAT PAY THE
UNIVERSITY TO USE BODY
PARTS HAVE SINCE TOLD
US THEY DID NOT KNOW
THE PARTS OFTEN CAME
FROM UNCLAIMED BODIES.
ONE OF THE COMPANY,
NATIONAL BIOSKILLS
LABORATORIES PAID $900
FOR THE TORSO OF U.S.
MILITARY VETERAN
VICTOR HONEY, WHO WE
TOLD YOU ABOUT EARLIER
THIS WEEK.
WERE YOU AWARE THAT
YOUR LABORATORY WAS
USING BODY PARTS OF
UNCLAIMED PEOPLE?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
FIRST TIME I HEARD
ABOUT IT WAS WHEN NBC
NEWS CONTACTED ME.
IT SAYS DONATED ON THE
PAPERWORK.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID
YOU THINK THAT MEANT?
>> THAT THEY DONATED
THEIR BODIES FOR THIS
PURPOSE.
>> Reporter: ARE YOU
GOING TO CHANGE COURSE
IN ANY WAY NOW KNOWING
WHAT YOU KNOW?
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE NEED TO KNOW
EXACTLY WHO CONSENTED.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
THAT.
>> Reporter: WHILE
TRAINING ON UNCLAIMED
BODIES IS LEGAL IN
MOST OF THE COUNTRY,
MANY U.S. MEDICAL
SCHOOLS HAVE HALTED
THE PRACTICE.
A FEW STATES,
INCLUDING HAWAII,
MINNESOTA, AND VERMONT
HAVE OUTRIGHT BANNED
IT.
BUT BECAUSE NO
NATIONAL DATA EXISTS
ABOUT HOW COMMON IT
IS, NBC NEWS CONDUCTED
ITS OWN SURVEY,
REACHING OUT TO 51
MAJOR MEDICAL SCHOOLS
IN 29 STATES.
44 OF THEM TOLD US
THEY DON’T USE
UNCLAIMED BODIES.
THE REST DIDN’T
ANSWER.
WHAT IS THE MORAL
QUESTION HERE?
>> WHAT DO WE OWE THE
DEAD?
AND WHAT DO WE OWE
THEIR LOVED ONES.
>> Reporter: A
BIOETHICIST FOR A
NATIONAL BAN.
WHO IS LIKELY TO BE AN
UNCLAIMED BODY?
>> PEOPLE WHO DIE
POOR.
THESE ARE MARGINALIZED
COMMUNITIES BEING
AFFECTED BY THIS.
IN TERMS OF
DIVERSIFYING THEIR
CADAVER LABS, THEY’LL
COME OUT AND SAY THIS
IS A GREAT WAY FOR OUR
STUDENTS TO GET
TRAINING ON BLACK
BODIES.
BUT I DON’T THINK THAT
THAT’S A FEATHER IN
YOUR CAP IF YOU’VE
JUST TAKEN THAT BLACK
BODY WITHOUT CONSENT.
>> Reporter: WITHOUT
CONSENT.
>> I THINK THAT IN
SOME SENSE IT IS
MODERN-DAY GRAVE
ROBBING.
>> Reporter: THAT’S
EXACTLY WHAT COLEMAN’S
SISTERS FEEL HAPPENED
TO HIM.
HE WAS A BLACK MAN
WITH A CRIMINAL
RECORD.
DO YOU THINK THAT THE
OFFICIAL TOOK YOUR
FAMILY SERIOUSLY?
>> NO.
>> BECAUSE OF HIS
PAST, BECAUSE HE IS
BLACK.
>> Reporter: OFFICIALS
WITH DALLAS AND
TARRANT COUNTIES AND
THE HEALTH SCIENCE
CENTER HAVE DECLINED
NBC NEWS’ REPEATED
REQUEST FOR
INTERVIEWS.
BUT JUST THIS WEEK,
AFTER THE UNIVERSITY
SUSPENDED ITS PROGRAM
AND AFTER NBC NEWS
AIRED THE FIRST PART
OF THIS STORY, BOTH
COUNTIES HELD MEETINGS
ADDRESSING THE
FAILURES.
FOR LOUISA --
>> JUST ANOTHER BODY
TO THEM.
>> Reporter: IT’S A
STEP TOWARDS CLOSURE,
BUT STILL, NO JUSTICE.
>> HE WASN’T A MISSING
PERSON.
HE HAD FAMILY THAT
LOVE HIM.
HE WASN’T NOTHING.
THAT’S HOW THEY
TREATED HIM, LIKE HE