What’s the Price of Delay? In St. Croix, It’s $2,000 a Dead Body — and Years of Broken Promises

Over two years ago, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice pledged to provide St. Croix with a functional morgue. Today, despite investments in modular equipment and site work, the island continues to send deceased individuals to St. Thomas for autopsies, costing nearly $2,000 per case. These funds, critics argue, could have been used to establish local services more quickly.

In 2022, the plan was straightforward: a modular morgue on St. Croix by the end of the year. By 2023, then-acting Attorney General Carol Thomas-Jacobs revised the timeline to May. Now, in mid-2025, Attorney General Gordon Rhea has announced that the Toro site — previously abandoned due to unspecified “problems” — is back under consideration. The company Vesta has been contracted for the project, pending final approval from Property and Procurement, with installation projected for August or September.

Rhea noted that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the Juan F. Luis Hospital before plans shifted back to the Toro site. However, the JFL facilities remain unusable, prompting the reconsideration of the Toro location.

Not everyone is on board with the decision. Senator Franklin Johnson highlighted concerns from nearby businesses and pressed Attorney General Rhea on the community’s objections. Rhea assured that the morgue would resemble a standard commercial building, but Senator Johnson remained skeptical, stating, “If you take a pig and put lipstick on it, it is still going to be a pig.”

The debate raises questions about priorities: should the Toro site move forward to curb the ongoing financial burden, or should the community’s concerns take precedence? The issue has sparked discussions about the balance between practicality and public sentiment.

Some argue that facilities like crematoriums and funeral homes, such as Schuster’s and James Memorial, have integrated into the community while maintaining dignity and respect. They question why a morgue cannot do the same, especially given the urgent need for such facilities on St. Croix.

What do you think? Does Senator Johnson’s perspective align with yours? Should the Toro site proceed, or should alternative solutions be explored? Share your thoughts in the comments.