CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Chicago man was missing for months and his family never gave up trying to find him, until they found out his body was in the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office as a John Doe.
He was listed as John Doe. No. 04226 at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, described as a 45-year-old black man. But in reality, the John Doe was actually David Waue, 31, who is white.
"Why didn't I know, why didn't I know? Why didn't I know where my boy was," Cynthia Matthews, Waue’s mother cried. "The people in Chicago that are losing their sons and daughters deserve better."
CBS 2 spoke with the family, who said police and the Medical Examiner didn’t do enough to identify him.
The family hired a private investigator and it was then they were able to locate Waue.
Private investigator Robert Crotty said Waue served time in prison and could have been identified with fingerprints or DNA. He also had several distinct tattoos.
"They failed to follow what I would consider normal procedures," he said.
In the end, the body was identified with the helpd of the private investigator from Waue's distinctive tattoos. He had been in the morgue for nearly six months following an overdose in a vacant apartment.
According to CBS 2, Waue had been found a long time ago, but was misidentified as a 45-year-old black man. There was no mention of fingerprints, DNA or dental impressions being taken in the reports.
The family has filed a complaint against Chicago Police, the Medical Examiner’s office, and the City of Chicago, claiming negligence.