By Chris Peeks January 16, 2023
.The families of two Alabama prison inmates who died in recent weeks are demanding answers from authorities after receiving the bodies of their loved ones with missing internal organs. Both cases raise questions about the handling and care of the bodies of 74-year-old Charles Singleton and 43-year-old Brandon Dotson, inmates at the Alabama Department of Corrections. In Singleton's case, the Department of Pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted its own investigation before the remains were returned, WPDE reported. According to court documents, when his family brought his body to the funeral home, the deceased said it was "difficult to prepare his body for burial" because it was "rotted" and had "problems." The family was also told that Singleton had lost all of his body's organs, including his brain. The narrator told the family that in emergencies it was customary to remove the entrails and place them in bags, but they had stopped. Singleton's family has contacted the university to inquire about the whereabouts of the organ but said they have not received any information about the incident. During an autopsy, organs and tissue are removed to determine the cause of death. Autopsy approval is final approval of organs, tissues; parts cannot be changed unless requested. Under Alabama law, UAB is one of the largest prisons in Alabama. Dotson's story about his family is full of holes. When his family learned of his death in mid-November, his mother asked authorities to return his body. The Alabama Department of Corrections conducted a preliminary investigation before returning his body five days after his death. The family hired experts to conduct a second test, which revealed Dotson's heart was no longer in his body. His heart was removed without the family's consent, according to a lawsuit filed by the Alabama Department of Health. He also named the University of Alabama System as an opponent because he believes the University of Helsinki School of Medicine believes Dotson's views are "correct." The school has denied the claims, calling them "outrageous" and saying Dotson did not conduct research or obtain the organs. The Alabama Department of Corrections had no comment and told ABC 3340 there are no pending cases. "It's part of the process," Lauren Faraino, an attorney for the Dotson family, said recently of Singleton's lawsuit. Prisoner autopsy technology.
Chris Peeks
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