Police discover unclaimed body of North Carolina woman left in hearse for 9 days
By APWednesday, August 25, 2010
NC woman’s unclaimed body left in hearse 9 days
GRAHAM, N.C. — Police and North Carolina regulators are investigating why a woman’s body was left in a hearse for nine days.
Police found the body of Linda Walton last week after they were asked to investigate a foul odor in the city of Graham, about 32 miles west of Durham.
The 37-year-old died earlier this month in her apartment and police were unable to locate her next of kin. They called David B. Lawson Mortuary to pick up the body.
Lawson has been a licensed funeral director for more than 30 years and is part of a rotation of funeral homes used by police. He refused to talk about the case early Wednesday.
The funeral service’s disciplinary committee meets next week to discuss the complaint.
