According to court documents, two families have come forward claiming that their loved ones' bodies were returned to them by the Alabama Department of Corrections missing internal organs. The first case involves Charles Edward Singleton, who died at the age of 74 while incarcerated at the Hamilton Aged and Infirmed Center. Singleton's daughter, Charlene Drake, stated in an affidavit that the chaplain of the prison assured the family that the corrections department would handle funeral arrangements. However, when Singleton's body arrived at the funeral home, it was already in a state of decomposition and his internal organs, including his brain, were missing.

The second case involves Brandon Clay Dotson, who was found dead at the age of 43 in Ventress Correctional Facility. Dotson's family faced difficulties in getting the Alabama Department of Corrections to release his body, and when they finally did, it was severely decomposed. The family hired a pathologist to perform a second autopsy, and it was discovered that Dotson's heart was missing.

Both families have filed federal lawsuits against the Alabama Department of Corrections, alleging grave misconduct and violation of human dignity. The lawsuit filed by Dotson's family also names the University of Alabama, claiming that the university has a history of using removed organs from inmates for medical research and training. However, a spokesperson for the university vehemently denied these allegations, stating that while they conduct autopsies of incarcerated individuals, they did not perform Dotson's autopsy.

Attorney Lauren Faraino, who represents Dotson's family, referred to this alleged misconduct as “abuse” and stated that it is indicative of a larger pattern within Alabama's prison system. She argued that the mishandling of the deceased's bodies amounts to grave robbery and mutilation.

During a recent hearing in the Dotson case, a federal judge was unable to provide answers regarding the location of Dotson's heart. The lawsuit suggests that the heart may have been retained during a state autopsy for research purposes at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Attorneys for the university dismissed these claims as "bald speculation" and asserted that the university did not perform the autopsy nor receive any of Dotson's organs.

The Alabama Department of Corrections declined to comment on the pending litigation, stating that they do not authorize or perform autopsies. They explained that once an inmate dies, the body is transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences or the University of Alabama at Birmingham for autopsy, depending on various factors.

The families involved in these cases are seeking answers regarding the missing organs and are demanding accountability for the alleged misconduct. The outcome of the lawsuits remains to be seen, but these disturbing allegations shed light on the ongoing issues within Alabama's prison system.