Section 24-12-1 - Notification of relatives of deceased. - New Mexico Statutes

24-12-1. Notification of relatives of deceased.

A.     State, county or municipal officials having charge or control of a body of a dead person shall use due diligence to notify the relatives of the deceased.   

B.     If no claimant is found who will assume the cost of burial, the official having charge or control of the body shall notify the medical investigator stating, when possible, the name, age, sex and cause of death of the deceased.   

C.     The body shall be embalmed according to regulations of the state agency having jurisdiction. After the exercise of due diligence required in Subsection A of this section and the report to the medical investigator required in Subsection B of this section, the medical investigator shall be furnished detailed data demonstrating such due diligence and the fact that no claimant has been found. When the medical investigator has determined that due diligence has been exercised, that reasonable opportunity has been afforded relatives to claim the body and that the body has not been claimed, he shall issue his certificate determining that the remains are unclaimed. In no case shall an unclaimed body be disposed of in less than two weeks from the date of the discovery of the body.