New Mexico Statutes Chapter 24. Health and Safety § 24-12-1. Notification of relatives of deceased;  authorization of person designated on record of emergency data form to direct burial;  unclaimed decedents

A. State, county or municipal officials having charge or control of a body of a dead person shall use due diligence to notify the relatives of the deceased.

B. If the decedent died while serving in any branch of the United States armed forces, the United States reserve forces or the national guard, during any period of duty when the secretary of the military service concerned can provide for the recovery, care and disposition of remains, and the decedent completed a United States department of defense record of emergency data form or its successor form, the authority to direct the burial of the decedent or to provide other funeral and disposition arrangements for the decedent devolves on the person designated by the decedent pursuant to that form.

C. If no claimant is found who will assume the cost of burial, the official having charge or control of the body shall notify the medical investigator stating, when possible, the name, age, sex and cause of death of the deceased.

D. The body shall be embalmed according to rules of the state agency having jurisdiction.  After the exercise of due diligence required in Subsection A of this section and the report to the medical investigator required in Subsection C of this section, the medical investigator shall be furnished detailed data demonstrating such due diligence and the fact that no claimant has been found.  When the medical investigator has determined that due diligence has been exercised, that reasonable opportunity has been afforded relatives to claim the body and that the body has not been claimed, the medical investigator shall issue a certificate determining that the remains are unclaimed.  In no case shall an unclaimed body be disposed of in less than two weeks from the date of the discovery of the body.