[wpietri]

Privacy is for the living. The dead are instead owed respect. If he had wanted particular things to happen after his death he could have written a will. Absent that, I think it's reasonable that the people who found him do what they they think most respectful.

The duty of respect for the dead also doesn't trump the needs of the living. If there are people out there waiting for his return, they should be told. I know somebody who's son disappeared, presumably in shame, after he failed out of college. For years and years it hurt her daily to not know . Eventually he got back in touch. If he had died before doing that, she would have deserved to know that her wait was over.