Mayor Jim Kenney Vows To Reform Philadelphia's Medical Examiner's Office After Mishandling Of MOVE Bombing Victims' Remains
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is vowing to reform the city's medical examiner's office. On Wednesday, Kenney said the investigation into the handling of the remains of the 1985 MOVE bombing victims is continuing.
"We have to put into place all the pieces of the investigation and we'll move forward," Kenney said. "We're acting in good faith. I think that even the MOVE family members that have been quoted have said that they believe that we're acting in good faith. They have no reason to trust the city in any way, shape, or form, and they're beginning to show a level of trust that we're not going to let them down.
"As I've said before, this is about the families, this is about the deceased, this is about the children that were never treated respectfully and decently for 36 years."
Last week, high-profile Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley resigned after he disclosed to the mayor an order he gave years ago to cremate partial remains of an unknown number of MOVE victims.
Eleven people died after the city dropped a bomb on the group's West Philadelphia rowhome.
Only further angering MOVE members, a late revelation Friday that a medical examiner apparently did not follow Farley's directive, revealing the remains were still in a box at the ME's office and not cremated.
Renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht called the mishandling of human remains by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office "unbelievable."
"I think this was absolutely despicable. It's incomprehensible what they did here," Wecht said.