Latest Search for Tulsa Race Massacre Victims Ends with Three More Sets of Remains Found

The latest search for the remains of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has yielded three more sets containing gunshot wounds, investigators announced. The excavation in Oaklawn Cemetery led to the discovery of 11 sets of remains, with two victims showing evidence of munitions from different weapons and one victim displaying evidence of burning.

Forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield, who will continue to examine the remains on site, revealed that one victim suffered bullet and shotgun wounds while the other was shot with two different caliber bullets. The searchers are specifically looking for simple wooden caskets, as they were described in historical records as the type used for burying massacre victims.

The exhumed remains will be sent to Intermountain Forensics in Salt Lake City for DNA and genealogical testing in an effort to identify them. This search marks the fourth excavation since Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum initiated the project in 2018, with a total of 47 remains now exhumed.

Bynum expressed his hope for the search to continue, emphasizing the importance of finding and honoring those who were murdered and hidden over a century ago. Brenda Nails-Alford, a descendant of massacre survivors, also expressed gratitude for the efforts to find the victims’ remains, hoping for continued justice and healing for the community.

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a long-suppressed episode of racial violence, resulted in the destruction of Black Wall Street and the deaths of as many as 300 Black people. The search for victims and the efforts towards reparations for survivors and descendants are crucial steps towards acknowledging and addressing this tragic event in history.