John Shoupy

And after we were done with that story, I said, just keep in touch. Let me know if there's anything else you ever want to talk about. And a month later is when she called me to tell me what had happened to Dexter.

And after we were done with that story, I said, just keep in touch. Let me know if there's anything else you ever want to talk about. And a month later is when she called me to tell me what had happened to Dexter.

On the night that Dexter left home, within about an hour, he was crossing a nearby highway on foot. and he was hit by a car and killed. That car was a Jackson Police Department vehicle being driven by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer. And that officer, after striking Dexter, pulled over and reported it.

On the night that Dexter left home, within about an hour, he was crossing a nearby highway on foot. and he was hit by a car and killed. That car was a Jackson Police Department vehicle being driven by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer. And that officer, after striking Dexter, pulled over and reported it.

And so there was immediately a response from the Jackson Police Department's Accident Investigations Unit And because he had died instantly, there was also an immediate response from the Hines County Coroner's Office. And that's where they began to collect basic information about the accident and Dexter.

And so there was immediately a response from the Jackson Police Department's Accident Investigations Unit And because he had died instantly, there was also an immediate response from the Hines County Coroner's Office. And that's where they began to collect basic information about the accident and Dexter.

These types of procedures differ from place to place. But my understanding about at that point in time when it came to the coroner's office in Hines County and the police department in Jackson is that they kind of shared that responsibility. Although after we started reporting on this, each side started pointing the finger at the other.

These types of procedures differ from place to place. But my understanding about at that point in time when it came to the coroner's office in Hines County and the police department in Jackson is that they kind of shared that responsibility. Although after we started reporting on this, each side started pointing the finger at the other.

First of all, it's one of the main priorities of a coroner's office to identify positively and definitively identify someone who has died. And so that was the first thing that the investigator did, and that's the main part of his job, which was to identify Dexter Wade. He did that because Dexter had a bottle of prescription pills in his pocket, and the coroner's investigator was able to

First of all, it's one of the main priorities of a coroner's office to identify positively and definitively identify someone who has died. And so that was the first thing that the investigator did, and that's the main part of his job, which was to identify Dexter Wade. He did that because Dexter had a bottle of prescription pills in his pocket, and the coroner's investigator was able to

get a preliminary identification, and then through fingerprints, a definite identification of Dexter. That happened within a couple of days.

get a preliminary identification, and then through fingerprints, a definite identification of Dexter. That happened within a couple of days.

That's correct. The coroner's office investigator began steps to try to track down a next of kin for Dexter. And for him, that meant, because of those prescription pills, contacting the hospital where he had gotten those pills and finding a next of kin listed for him in the hospital and finding a name, Betterstein Wade, his mother, and a phone number.

That's correct. The coroner's office investigator began steps to try to track down a next of kin for Dexter. And for him, that meant, because of those prescription pills, contacting the hospital where he had gotten those pills and finding a next of kin listed for him in the hospital and finding a name, Betterstein Wade, his mother, and a phone number.

The coroner's office investigator said in his notes that he tried calling Betterstein Wade's phone number and didn't get anybody. Betterstein says that she does not recall any such call.

The coroner's office investigator said in his notes that he tried calling Betterstein Wade's phone number and didn't get anybody. Betterstein says that she does not recall any such call.

It's very vague, and I think that you'll find this in most places. Laws, when they do address this, talk about making a, quote, reasonable effort to find next of kin.

It's very vague, and I think that you'll find this in most places. Laws, when they do address this, talk about making a, quote, reasonable effort to find next of kin.

At the time that Dexter died and his body was was in the county morgue. Within several days, while his body was still there, the police department's missing persons unit had a missing persons report for Dexter Wade, whose body had been identified at the morgue.

At the time that Dexter died and his body was was in the county morgue. Within several days, while his body was still there, the police department's missing persons unit had a missing persons report for Dexter Wade, whose body had been identified at the morgue.

The accident investigations unit of the police department were conducting an investigation of the crash in which they knew that the victim was Dexter Wade. And the coroner's office knew that it had the body of Dexter Wade.

The accident investigations unit of the police department were conducting an investigation of the crash in which they knew that the victim was Dexter Wade. And the coroner's office knew that it had the body of Dexter Wade.

When a coroner's office, any type of morgue anywhere in America, has a body, that institution cannot hold onto the body indefinitely. And every jurisdiction has different procedures about how to handle that situation. In Hines County, Mississippi, their procedure was

When a coroner's office, any type of morgue anywhere in America, has a body, that institution cannot hold onto the body indefinitely. And every jurisdiction has different procedures about how to handle that situation. In Hines County, Mississippi, their procedure was

If a certain amount of time has passed in which the person has not been claimed by next of kin, the coroner's office can apply to the county to have that person buried in a pauper's field. The pauper's field in Hinds County is in a series of plots of open land, not particularly well-maintained behind a wing of the county jail.

If a certain amount of time has passed in which the person has not been claimed by next of kin, the coroner's office can apply to the county to have that person buried in a pauper's field. The pauper's field in Hinds County is in a series of plots of open land, not particularly well-maintained behind a wing of the county jail.

And over the years, decades, hundreds of unclaimed people have been placed in that potter's field. And in these paupers' burials, an inmate from the county jail digs the grave, and the body's placed in there with a number.

And over the years, decades, hundreds of unclaimed people have been placed in that potter's field. And in these paupers' burials, an inmate from the county jail digs the grave, and the body's placed in there with a number.

And so we show up there together in one car, and a sheriff's deputy and two inmates came show up in a pickup, and they tell us to follow them. Betterstein's behind the wheel, so we drive down. We follow them down this, like, bouncy dirt road behind the jail. And the whole time that we're driving, Betterstein and her sister are talking about how strange it is. Like, where are we going?

And so we show up there together in one car, and a sheriff's deputy and two inmates came show up in a pickup, and they tell us to follow them. Betterstein's behind the wheel, so we drive down. We follow them down this, like, bouncy dirt road behind the jail. And the whole time that we're driving, Betterstein and her sister are talking about how strange it is. Like, where are we going?

This feels surreal. It was way out in the middle of nowhere with no real sign of any respect for the dead. And it's very nondescript, the potter's field. It's a patch of grass surrounded by trees, and there's some crude signs affixed to metal posts in rows. And the deputy sheriff pointed her to Dexter's grave.

This feels surreal. It was way out in the middle of nowhere with no real sign of any respect for the dead. And it's very nondescript, the potter's field. It's a patch of grass surrounded by trees, and there's some crude signs affixed to metal posts in rows. And the deputy sheriff pointed her to Dexter's grave.

And I remember Betterstein approaching that and kind of saying, is that it?

And I remember Betterstein approaching that and kind of saying, is that it?

After Betterstein visited the grave, she then began work on having him exhumed so that he could get a proper burial and funeral. In order to do that, she had to get permission from the county to show up and have a funeral director on hand and have county crews exhume the body. So she arranged for all that.

After Betterstein visited the grave, she then began work on having him exhumed so that he could get a proper burial and funeral. In order to do that, she had to get permission from the county to show up and have a funeral director on hand and have county crews exhume the body. So she arranged for all that.

She had a lawyer representing her who helped get the red tape tied up and showed up, was told to show up one morning for the exhumation. And I went with her to that as well. So I rode with her and along the way, we started to get word that the body had already been exhumed. And sure enough, when we got there, the funeral director was there

She had a lawyer representing her who helped get the red tape tied up and showed up, was told to show up one morning for the exhumation. And I went with her to that as well. So I rode with her and along the way, we started to get word that the body had already been exhumed. And sure enough, when we got there, the funeral director was there

And Dexter's body had already apparently been put in the back of a county coroner's truck. So for Betterstein, that was just another insult and injury to this process.

And Dexter's body had already apparently been put in the back of a county coroner's truck. So for Betterstein, that was just another insult and injury to this process.

Yeah, speaking of final insults, she had to pay $250 to reclaim the rights to Dexter's body and give him the proper funeral.

Yeah, speaking of final insults, she had to pay $250 to reclaim the rights to Dexter's body and give him the proper funeral.

This can't be a one-off. There's got to be, because of the systemic aspect of the failures here, this can't just be the first and only time this has happened. We collected records of the paupers' burials in Hines County, and we began to examine missing persons reports. And we started to connect dots.

This can't be a one-off. There's got to be, because of the systemic aspect of the failures here, this can't just be the first and only time this has happened. We collected records of the paupers' burials in Hines County, and we began to examine missing persons reports. And we started to connect dots.