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Posted on: July 8, 2016

Pierce County Medical Examiner seeks friends and families to reclaim remains of deceased

The friends and family members of 37 individuals who died in Pierce County have one last opportunity to reclaim their remains. The list of individuals can be found below and at the Medical Examiner's website.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner plans to scatter unclaimed ashes on the waters of Puget Sound in August. Ashes being scattered are from individuals who died between 1998 and 2015.

The Medical Examiner’s office will board a Pierce County Sherriff’s boat to respectfully scatter remains that have gone unclaimed. “Everything possible is done to find the next of kin or friends of the deceased,” said Dr. Thomas Clark, Medical Examiner. He added that family members or friends are not always interested in claiming remains.

The practice of scattering ashes by the Medical Examiner started in 2014 due to limited resources and an inability to store records indefinitely. Clark said it is more dignified and environmentally friendly to scatter ashes than storing them on a shelf.

Please contact the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s office at (253) 798-6494 prior to Aug. 1, 2016, to claim remains. Information on all unclaimed cases in Pierce County can be found at https://claimus.org/.

  • Aichele, Steven Michael (case #13-0587) – Age 46, Died April 13, 2013 in Lakewood
  • Baker, Brandy Lynn (case #15-0209)—Age 53, Died Jan. 26, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Barnett, Audrey D. (case #14-1934)—Age 71, Died Dec. 21, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Bateman, Roger D. (case #15-0728)—Age 73, Died Apr. 26, 2015 in Lakewood
  • Boyce, Shawn E. (case #15-1201)—Age 48, Died July 22, 2015 in University Place
  • Cemelich, Robert J. (case #15-0790)—Age 73, Died May 7, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Coulter, John L. (case #15-0198)—Age 72, Died Jan. 29, 2015
  • Dowaschinski, Joseph B. (case #14-1591)—Age 67, Died Oct. 21, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Duff, Linda Jo (case #14-1396)—Age 46, Died July 30, 2014 in Fife
  • Feely, Wesley R. (case #15-0146) – Age 76, Died July 22, 1998, found cremated remains
  • Ferneau, Jack Davis (case #15-0860)—Age 70, Died May 10, 2015 in South Prairie
  • Fuglestad, Sherry Lynn (case #14-2014)—Age 55, Died Dec. 31, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Gibson, Daisy Mae (case #15-0340)—Age 61, Died Feb. 21, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Green, Toney Quinn (case #15-1070)—Age 59, Died June 26, 2015 in Lakewood
  • Hamilton, Jeremie (case #14-1121)—Age 33, Died July 15, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Hammett, Elsie June (case #15-0658)—Age 82, Died Apr. 13, 2015 in Puyallup
  • Hanson, Trudy H. (case #14-1475)—Age 74, Died Sept. 29, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Hoffner, Leo Edward (case #14-1564)—Age 87, Died Sept. 30, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Holm, Arnold Len (case #14-1708)—Age 79, Died Nov. 13, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Hornaday, Kenneth Dewayne (case #14-1780)—Age 58, Died Nov. 25, 2014 in Puyallup
  • Johnson, Nelda Jo (case #15-0813)—Age 69, Died May 10, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Lee, Lissa Kay (case #15-0468)—Age 58, Died Mar. 13, 2015 in Lakewood
  • Linbeck, Patrick J. (case #15-0767)—Age 65, Died May 1, 2015 in Puyallup
  • Locklin, Clifford W. (case #15-0123)—Age 79, Died Jan. 19, 2015 in Lakewood
  • Lupien, Daryl Rand (case #15-0553)—Age 60, Died Mar. 26, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Martonfi, Joseph Frank (case #15-0971)—Age 66, Died June 4, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Morris, Thomas McDonald (case #14-1412)—Age 70, Died Sept. 12, 2014 in Lakewood
  • Morrison, Rick Lynn (case #15-0670)—Age 56, Died Apr. 14, 2015 in Puyallup
  • Ocon, Catherine (case #15-0857)—Age 59, Died May 17, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Parker, William F. (case #15-1014)—Age 48, Died June 18, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Peterson, Carl Lee (case #15-0783)—Age 64, Died May 5, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Ross, Martin (Marty) K. (case #15-0480)—Age 59, Died Mar. 12, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Swanson, James A. (case #14-1809)—Age 64, Died Dec. 2, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Thompson, Doris (case #14-1764)—Age 69, Died Nov. 23, 2014 in Lakewood
  • White, Diana (case #14-1479)—Age 71, Died Sept. 30, 2014 in Tacoma
  • Wohlmacher, Gregory Lynn (case #15-0203)—Age 61, Died Feb. 1, 2015 in Tacoma
  • Wolf, Donna Jean (case #14-1179)—Age 54, Died July 20, 2014 in Tacoma

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Amber Larkins, Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office
(253) 798-2894
[email protected]

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