Paperwork errors leave body unidentified

TRENTON, N.J., June 5 (UPI) -- Police in Trenton, N.J., said a woman's body remained unidentified for nearly a decade because of paperwork errors.

Detectives determined in 2001 that the body, which had been at the morgue since 1999, likely belonged to Trenton resident Terisenne Hearren, 37, the Trenton Times reported Thursday.

However, police said paperwork missteps prevented the body from being officially identified or buried.

Police officials said they will meet with the Mercer County Medical Examiner's Office to establish new protocols for informing the morgue of updates on bodies stored at the facility.

"We can't rely on phone calls anymore. There has to be a written record regarding the identification of bodies," said Capt. Joseph Juniak, head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. "In doing so, we can avoid having to go back and review the reports and redo the investigation."