Alabama Prison Inmates' Families Allege Missing Organs in Returned Bodies

Two families in Alabama allege that the bodies of their deceased loved ones, who were inmates in state prisons, were returned missing internal organs, including the heart and brain. The families have filed a federal lawsuit, claiming that the Alabama Department of Corrections or its agents removed and retained the organs without permission, describing the alleged misconduct as "grave robbery and mutilation." The lawsuit also implicates the University of Alabama, alleging a track record of using removed organs for medical research and training, a claim vigorously denied by the university.