Detroit Teen's Body Went Unidentified, Unclaimed

The body of a missing transgender teenager in Detroit had lain in a morgue for weeks unclaimed, the Detroit Examinerreports.

Henry Hilliard Jr., 19 (pictured), who went by the names Shelly or Treasure, had disappeared October 23, and her burned torso, which had been dumped on the east side of Detroit, was identified by the medical examiner's office Thursday.

"With no identification on the body, Hilliard was taken to the morgue, where her body stayed until police sent a media advisory last week with Hilliard's information, including the description of a cherry tattoo," writes an Examiner contributor, who goes on to wonder, "How could a body just be sent to the morgue without news coverage of a badly burnt body was ever found?"

Meanwhile, Hilliard's mother, Lyniece Nelson, told the Detroit Free Press she is mourning and waiting for answers from the police, who are investigating the case as a homicide. Hilliard will be memorialized Friday at a Transgender Day of Remembrance event at Detroit's Central United Methodist Church.