FILE – Brenda Alford, a researcher and member of the burial oversight committee, transports the first set of exhumed remains from the latest site at Oaklawn Cemetery to an onsite lab for further analysis, Sept. 13, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. A third set of remains showing evidence of a gunshot wound has been discovered during the search for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, according to state officials. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP, File)
Aug 03, 2024 Story by: Editor
In Oklahoma City, the ongoing search for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has led to the discovery of a third set of remains with a gunshot wound at a cemetery in Tulsa, according to state officials.
This set of remains is one of three recently unearthed during the latest excavation efforts. The discovery took place in an area believed to be the burial site for 18 Black men who lost their lives during the massacre, as announced by Oklahoma State archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck on social media last Friday.
“We have exhumed him, he is in the forensic lab and undergoing analysis,” Stackelbeck stated from the site at Oaklawn Cemetery in Tulsa.
This find comes nearly a month after another set of remains, which were previously uncovered during the search, were identified as those of World War I veteran C.L. Daniel from Georgia. According to forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield, Daniel’s remains did not show signs of a gunshot wound, but the fragmented condition of his bones made it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of death.
The three sets of remains recovered in this phase of the search are part of a total of 40 graves that have been located, Stackelbeck noted. These remains are consistent with documented burial customs for massacre victims, which are supported by historical newspaper accounts, death certificates, and records from funeral homes.
“Those three individuals are buried in adult-sized, wooden caskets, so they have been removed from the ground and taken to our forensic facility on site,” Stackelbeck explained.
Earlier searches have led to the recovery of over 120 sets of remains, with around two dozen sent to Intermountain Forensics in Salt Lake City for further identification.
In addition, on Thursday, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper announced the creation of a new committee to explore various reparations for survivors, descendants of the massacre, and the community in north Tulsa that was impacted by the tragedy.
The Tulsa Race Massacre, a horrific but often overlooked episode of racial violence, took place over two days in 1921. The massacre destroyed the prosperous Black neighborhood known as Black Wall Street, resulting in the deaths of up to 300 Black residents, the internment of thousands in camps overseen by the National Guard, and the complete destruction of more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools, and churches. Source: West Island Community News
