Annual Mass Burial for LA County

Annual Mass Burial

Photos by Mary Leipziger.

LA County will bury 1547 unclaimed dead bodies in a mass grave. The event will be streamed online. The event will be held on December 3, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.

Since there is a three year lag between death and burial, none of these 1547 people, died of Covid-19.

"With the cancellation of all large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Ceremony of the Unclaimed Dead will be live streamed," said the County in a press release. "The Department of Decedent Affairs deeply regrets that it cannot hold a public ceremony this year. This decision was made to conform to current state and county emergency orders to protect the health and well-being of participants, staff and community members who normally attend this ceremony."

Local faith leaders will preside over the burial of 1,547 indigent/unclaimed dead in a single mass grave. The annual interfaith remembrance ceremony organized by the L.A. County Department of Health Services, Decedent Affairs in partnership with Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center Chaplains will hold a "virtual" ceremony at the Los Angeles County Crematory and Cemetery to remember and honor the unclaimed dead.

"To continue the tradition of honoring the unclaimed dead, event organizers will show a brief online ceremony on Facebook so Los Angeles County residents can watch safely from home.