Database of death

It had been years since the Boatwrights had heard from their beloved brother James Arthur - the only one of the 10 surviving adult siblings estranged from the family.Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

Wanting to bridge the gap of years and miles, they launched an Internet search in August from their homes in the Deep South, knowing only that he lived somewhere in Los Angeles.

They got a hit, but the news brought them sorrow rather than joy. James Arthur Boatwright, age 65, was among the 4,827 unclaimed bodies listed in an online database by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.