Background: News footage of the scene in Whitemarsh Island, Ga. where J.T. Schroeder was stabbed on Oct. 23 (WTOC). Inset (left): Delano Middleton (Chatham County Detention Center). Inset (right): J.T. Schroeder (GoFundMe).
Authorities confirmed that the body of a Georgia teenager who was stabbed to death in October was cremated before it could undergo an autopsy.
J.T. Schroeder, 18, died in October after he was allegedly stabbed by 48-year-old Delano Middleton at a Walmart store in Whitemarsh Island. Following the teenager”s death, his organs were donated, and his body was released to a funeral home, where it was cremated. However, Schroeder’s body was supposed to undergo an autopsy in connection with the criminal investigation.
Now the Chatham County district attorney says someone else could face felony charges for the massive blunder.
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A Chatham County Police Department spokesperson confirmed to local NBC affiliate WSAV that after Schroeder’s body was released by Memorial Health University Medical Center, the remains were sent to a funeral home, where they were cremated. As the victim of a homicide, “[a] hold was placed on J.T. Schroeder’s body by both the Chatham County Coroner’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation” so the remains would undergo an autopsy before being released to the funeral home.
Local CBS affiliate WTOC reported that during a court hearing in connection with Middleton’s case, it was revealed that Schroeder’s body had been cremated before the autopsy took place.
Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones released a statement on Friday confirming what happened, saying, “The release of J.T. Schroeder’s body was not a ‘miscommunication.’ It was oversight, failure and professional negligence. The order from the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation], Lifeline, and the coroner all indicated the body was to be held as is the case for all murder victims in the state of Georgia. This is a serious failure so egregious; it is hard to believe it was not intentional.”
Cook Jones added that Schroeder’s body “was evidence in a criminal trial. The people or person responsible for the premature release of his remains could be charged with a felony.” She did not detail what specific charges could be brought.
A spokesperson from Memorial Health also provided a public statement that was carried by WTOC, saying, “The loss of a loved one is never easy, and we have processes in place to ensure proper handling of the deceased in our care. In the event these processes are not followed, we review our training and documentation with staff and work closely with external agencies to prevent similar issues.”
Schroeder died on Oct. 27, days after Middleton allegedly stabbed him because the teen purportedly kicked his shopping cart at a Walmart store. Middleton, who had pleaded guilty to a previous stabbing in 2021 and was on probation at the time of his alleged attack on Schroeder, was charged with murder and is being held without bond at the Chatham County Detention Center.
