Phoenix Works to ID Victims of Record Heat

three-way genre merge : weather, homeless, and sad

PHOENIX -- In the span of a week, in the throes of a record heat wave, 14 transients have perished on the streets of metropolitan Phoenix. They lived in obscurity, and many of them died the same way _ anonymous, ignored, alone. Their bodies were found crumpled on sidewalks near strip malls or in the shadow of downtown skyscrapers. Some were discovered only after strangers stumbled upon them and dialed 911.

Now, as Salvation Army volunteers pass out water and social workers coax vagabonds into shelters, the city is grappling with another challenge: How to put a name to the nameless, find their families and bury the dead.