MILWAUKEE -- Forensic investigator Michael Simley knows his photographs are unsettling.
They show corpses' faces, many of them bloated with discolored skin.
But Simley says he's posting them online for an important reason: They deserve identities.
The bodies were found in Wisconsin's Milwaukee County and have gone unidentified for years, some even decades.
Some medical examiners disagree with the practice, saying it could traumatize families.
Coroners generally rely on sketches or 3-D models, which can be expensive or undetailed.
Simley's supporters include Las Vegas coroner Mike Murphy, who says posting such photos online has helped his office identify almost 50 bodies since 2003.
Simley hasn't netted any identifications since his website went up in November, but he says he'll try anything to identify the deceased and provide answers for their families.
By DINESH RAMDE, Associated Press
