Philly releases independent report on mishandling of MOVE bombing victims' remains

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- An independent investigation into the mishandling of human remains belonging to victims of the 1985 Philadelphia MOVE bombing did not determine how the remains ended up in a basement storage room of the medical examiner's office.

Investigators were unable to determine who put the box in the room, when it was put there or why.

The box was discovered in 2017 and then-Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley ordered an employee to cremate them without notifying the victims' next of kin. However, for reasons the investigators were unable to come up with, the employee did not cremate them.

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Instead, the box was rediscovered last year with the remains intact.

The investigators did issue several recommendations to the medical examiner's office including better record keeping and regularly auditing storage.

They also recommended changing the MOVE victims' death certificates to reflect that their manners of death were homicides, not accidents.

You can read the full report here.

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Mayor Jim Kenney released this statement on the report:

"I am grateful to our investigative teams from Dechert LLP and Montgomery, McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP whose dedication and diligent work have contributed much needed answers to questions that arose last year after the discovery of human remains from MOVE victims still in the City's possession. The tragedy of the MOVE bombing in 1985 and the decades-long trauma it has has inflicted on family members, neighbors and City residents is something that we will never completely heal from. The events of 2021 exposed flaws and shortcomings in City procedures, and the passage of decades since the initial mishandling of the victim's remains compounded the issues we were faced with and had to try and unravel.

While I know the reports did not answer every question we have around the remains we found last year, I remain hopeful that we can give some additional comfort and closure to family members after they review the report and we discuss our next steps with them. Additionally, by examining the policies and procedures of the MEO through a racial equity lens and by consulting with experts from across the country, we will move forward with recommendations on new policies and procedures with an eye towards equity and inclusion."