Coroner’s office asks for help in finding next-of-kin for dead Granite City man
The Madison County Coroner’s Office has asked for the public’s help in finding the family of a dead Granite City man.
The body of James R. Williams, 76, has been in the office’s care since Dec. 17, a Thursday news release from the office stated. Williams died at Gateway Regional Medical Center after being found unresponsive in his home in the 100 block of Douglas Place in the Mitchell area of Granite City.
Williams is a white male who was born in March 1943, according to the coroner’s office.
Since Williams’ death, the coroner has been unable to reach any family or known associates, said Chief Deputy Coroner Roger D. Smith. Illinois law requires next-of-kin be notified to take care of the person’s remains, or the remains go to a public administrator, Smith said.
Coroners’ offices will run the person’s identity through government systems and attempt to track down known friends and acquaintances.
“In this vast world, sometimes it’s hard to track (next-of-kin) down,” Smith said. “Mostly we want to make sure someone’s loved one knows that this person they cared about has passed.”
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 1:24 PM.
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