KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — As inflation continues to push prices for most goods and services higher, the costs of final arrangements remain the primary reason why many of the nearly 500 people whose remains are unclaimed at the Knox County Regional Forensic Center were not claimed by family members or friends.
As of June 17, the list of people whose remains have gone unclaimed at the forensic center since 2009 is 487 names long. A majority of individuals whose names are on that list are over the age of 40, but the list also includes at least five babies. Over the course of 2025, 38 names were added to the forensic center’s unclaimed persons list, and another 16 have already been added in 2026.
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There are a variety of reasons someone can be unclaimed. In some cases, investigators may not be able to locate a person’s next-of-kin, or there may be strained familial relationships. But the primary reason many of those individuals are on that list, a forensic center spokesperson told 6 News Wednesday, is because the “staggering cost of cremations and funeral arrangements.”
In Tennessee, the cost of a direct cremation, which means the deceased individual is cremated without being embalmed and placed in a casket for a funeral service, is $1,935, according to funeralocity. Compared to other areas of the state, Knoxville’s average direct cremation cost is $1,945, while the most expensive average cost is $2,594 in the Tri-Cities area. For families who are hoping to pay for a traditional full-service burial, the average cost in Tennessee is over $8,000…