1921Graves

Twenty-five days of work, much of which happened in 100-degree heat, will be wrapping up later this afternoon as part of the fourth round of excavations at Oaklawn Cemetery.

During this round of excavations, experts have:
✅Exhumed 10 individuals as of yesterday and will exhume one more this afternoon (totaling 11)
✅Confirmed three additional gunshot victims, two of whom have munitions from two different fi****ms, and one of whom also has evidence of possible burns

To date, nearly 50 sets of remains from all excavations over the past five years have been exhumed.

Once Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Phoebe Stubblefield wraps her analysis work in the coming weeks in Tulsa, all newly exhumed sets of remains will be sent to Intermountain Forensics - the laboratory assisting the City with DNA and genealogical analysis for the Investigation.

Intermountain Forensics has been instrumental in the work so far, helping identify the first known Race Massacre victim from the Investigation - C. L. Daniel.

For more information about the Investigation, see how you can get involved, and see additional pictures from this round of fieldwork, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves.

JOIN US: We will be going live at 12 p.m. CT today regarding the next excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Learn more about the 1921 Graves Investigation at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum announced the first identification of a Tulsa Race Massacre victim since the City started the physical part of its 1921 Graves Investigation five years ago. The identification is a man by the name of C. L. Daniel, a World War 1 U.S. Army Veteran whose next of kin’s DNA is tied with Burial 3 from the 2021 excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery.

The discovery is the first to reveal the name of a Tulsa Race Massacre victim outside of those previously noted in the Oklahoma Commission’s 2001 Report. Among those names were Reuben Everett and Eddie Lockard, whose headstones are the only known markers of massacre victims and are located near the grave that C. L. is connected to.

Visit www.cityoftulsa.org/1921Graves to learn more about Mr. Daniels and the next steps in the 1921 Graves investigation.

Please join us today, July 12, at 11 a.m., as Mayor G.T. Bynum, Intermountain Forensics, and Tulsa Race Massacre Descendant Brenda Nails-Alford go live on Facebook with a major announcement regarding the City of Tulsa’s 1921 Graves Investigation.

Intermountain Forensics, the laboratory conducting genealogy work for the 1921 Graves Investigation, is making significant progress, but more help is needed!

If you believe you have a connection to any of the surnames or locations of interest that are posted online at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves, we ask you to reach out to Intermountain Forensics and share whatever information you feel comfortable with.

You can reach out to Intermountain Forensics and learn more at www.tulsa1921dna.org

Who Died in the Tulsa Race Massacre? After more than a century, researchers hope to finally identify the victims of one of the worst racial attacks in American history.

Cooler temperatures are helping fuel the Physical Investigation Team as they continue their work this week.

Since last week, the team has exposed 22 graves shafts and conducted one exhumation, which was taken to the on-site osteology lab for analysis. Dr. Phoebe Stubblefield is on site and is leading the forensic work for the investigation.

For the latest information and to see how you can get involved in the genealogical work, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves.

A few photos from this week's initial excavation work at Oaklawn as the third full excavation kicks off. More photos can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves.

Think you may have ties to this work? We invite you to share your story with our genealogical team at www.tulsa1921dna.org.

Please join us this morning, Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 9 a.m. for a live update on our page regarding the 1921 Graves investigation.

Over the last seven weeks, forensic scientists and genealogists from Intermountain Forensics, the laboratory assisting the City with DNA analysis for the 1921 Graves Investigation, have received nearly 50 more contacts from people who think they may have a connection to the 1921 Graves Investigation and the surnames and locations of interest that were announced April 12.

“As work continues to unearth the truth 102 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, we are inching closer finding answers in an unprecedented identification process, the likes of which have never been undertaken before,” Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “I am thankful for the incredible team at Intermountain Forensics and all of the people who have come forward to share information about their family histories in this significant effort.”

DNA analysis and genealogical work continues to produce promising results. Though the process takes time, experts from Intermountain Forensics say they are thankful for the more than 130 people who have connected and shared information with the team on this project and are hopeful more will get involved.

"This project is a blend of community involvement and forensic DNA science,” said Deborah Dilley, Executive Director of Intermountain Forensics. “We are so grateful for the continued support of the community of Tulsa, and specifically to those families who were and are a part of the Greenwood District. Between the forensic DNA analysis and the genealogical investigation, we find ourselves each day a little closer to identifying those remains unearthed at Oaklawn Cemetery."

DNA Analysis Update
Six new DNA samples are currently undergoing DNA sequencing, with results from that sequencing expected in the next few weeks. Results could lead to additional surnames and locations of interest. One of the gunshot victims, Burial 27, is among those samples being sequenced.

Other burials are continuing to have DNA analyzed, extracted and enriched. DNA samples that move out of these phases will subsequently go into the sequencing phase.

Genealogical Update
Genealogical work continues on connecting people to the six burials and surnames and locations of interest announced April 12.

Since April 12, surnames and locations of interest for five of the six burials have been updated.

A detailed list of burials with surnames and locations of interest for each can be found online at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921Graves