Medical Examiner - Unidentified Persons
This dataset contains descriptions of unidentified persons whose cases have been processed by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
An unidentified person is an individual whose identity is unknown at the time of death and could not be confirmed through available identification, documentation, or during law enforcement’s initial investigation. In these cases, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office works with the assisting law enforcement agency to determine the identity.
Please email MEO.unknowns@cookcountyil.gov if you believe an unidentified decedent is a relative or missing person.
DISCLAIMER: Some images may be enhanced by a process using Adobe Photoshop. This image enhancement is being used for identification purposes only. The image was produced outside the scope of the postmortem examination, and any ongoing investigation by law enforcement. The sole intent and purpose of any enhancement of the postmortem photograph is to aid in the identification of an unknown decedent when traditional identification methods have been exhausted.
Please note that images posted in this section may be graphic in nature and may not be appropriate for all users. While the Medical Examiner’s Office encourages the public, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned parties to view the enhanced postmortem photograph, we understand there is potential for emotional distress. It is our goal that someone will recognize the unknown decedent and provide closure to the family.
Additional descriptions and information for Cook County unidentified decedents can also be found at NAMUS.gov. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. This database allows families to search across the country for missing or unidentified decedents.
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Complete Metadata
| @type | dcat:Dataset |
|---|---|
| accessLevel | public |
| contactPoint |
{ "fn": "Cook County Open Data", "@type": "vcard:Contact", "hasEmail": "mailto:no-reply@datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov" } |
| description | This dataset contains descriptions of unidentified persons whose cases have been processed by the Medical Examiner’s Office. An unidentified person is an individual whose identity is unknown at the time of death and could not be confirmed through available identification, documentation, or during law enforcement’s initial investigation. In these cases, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office works with the assisting law enforcement agency to determine the identity. Please email MEO.unknowns@cookcountyil.gov if you believe an unidentified decedent is a relative or missing person. DISCLAIMER: Some images may be enhanced by a process using Adobe Photoshop. This image enhancement is being used for identification purposes only. The image was produced outside the scope of the postmortem examination, and any ongoing investigation by law enforcement. The sole intent and purpose of any enhancement of the postmortem photograph is to aid in the identification of an unknown decedent when traditional identification methods have been exhausted. Please note that images posted in this section may be graphic in nature and may not be appropriate for all users. While the Medical Examiner’s Office encourages the public, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned parties to view the enhanced postmortem photograph, we understand there is potential for emotional distress. It is our goal that someone will recognize the unknown decedent and provide closure to the family. Additional descriptions and information for Cook County unidentified decedents can also be found at NAMUS.gov. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States. This database allows families to search across the country for missing or unidentified decedents. |
| distribution |
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| identifier | https://datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov/api/views/y8dh-5w5c |
| issued | 2025-12-29 |
| keyword |
[ "meo" ] |
| landingPage | https://datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov/d/y8dh-5w5c |
| modified | 2026-08-06 |
| publisher |
{ "name": "datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov", "@type": "org:Organization" } |
| theme |
[ "Health & Human Services" ] |
| title | Medical Examiner - Unidentified Persons |
