Hundreds of unclaimed bodies have been laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. Photos by Andrew Lopez.

The remains of nearly 2,000 unclaimed individuals who died in L.A. County in 2021 were laid to rest at Los Angeles County Crematorium Cemetery in Boyle Heights Thursday morning.

Performers sing for the deceased at Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights.
Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath spoke at Thursday’s ceremony.

The annual Ceremony of the Unclaimed Dead included many people who died during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, according to County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

2024 Burial of the Unclaimed Dead in Boyle Heights.
Attendees drop off roses at Evergreen Cemetery burial for the unclaimed dead.

Priests, pastors and religious leaders of multiple denominations presided over the burial. Community members and leaders in attendance were offered white roses to place alongside the marker to honor those lost.

Attendees at 2024 Burial of the Unclaimed Dead honor the deceased. Photo by Andrew Lopez.

Honoring the unclaimed dead at the Los Angeles County Crematorium Cemetery has been a tradition of the county since 1896. It is located at the southeast corner of Evergreen Cemetery.

Read More: How unclaimed Angelenos get a dignified farewell

Andrew Lopez is a Los Angeles native with roots across the Eastside. He studied at San Francisco State University and later earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. He returned to Los Angeles from the Bay Area to report for Boyle Heights Beat from 2023 to 2025 through UC Berkeley’s California Local News Fellowship. When he is not reporting, Lopez mentors youth journalists through The LA Local’s youth journalism program. He enjoys practicing photojournalism and covering the intersections of culture, history and local government in Eastside communities.

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1 Comment

  1. God Bless You All for the love and honor you do for many who’s lost their lives. My love and prayers to you all. I was born and raised in Boyle Hights

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