Oaklawn Cemetery map of 1921Graves investigation. Credit: 1921Graves
In the most promising breakthrough yet, forensic scientists and researchers have generated investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) profiles for 6 unidentified individuals excavated from Oaklawn Cemetery during the 1921Graves investigation to identify victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
The forensic and IGG teams at Intermountain Forensics (IMF) have flagged specific surnames in specific counties and states as DNA relatives of the unidentified remains.
“We do not believe a match of this type has ever been achieved before in American history,” said Mayor GT Bynum during a press conference announcing the breakthrough Wednesday morning.
The list of surnames and locations is as follows.
For Burial 1 (Female from 2021 exhumation)
- No specific surname identified, yet—genealogy team will reach out to potential DNA relatives
- Location of interest: North Carolina
For Burial 3 (Male from 2021 exhumation)
- Surnames of interest #1: Scott, Huntley, Daniel, Meriwether, Sims, Bohannon in Coweta County, Georgia, and surrounding counties
- Surnames of interest #2: Benjamin, Willis in Austin County, Texas
For Burial 13 (Female from 2021 exhumation)
- Surname of interest #1: Maggett in Mississippi
- Surnames of interest #2: Strong, McGee in Union Parish, Louisiana, and Texas
- Surname of interest #3: Still in Oklahoma during Indian Territory designation in the late 1800s
For Burial 15 (Male from 2021 exhumation)
- Surnames of interest #1: Holden, Larrimore in Sabine Parish, Louisiana
- Surnames of interest #2: Luckett, Mayre in Rapides Parish, Louisiana
For Burial 17 (Male from 2021 exhumation)
- Surnames of interest: Smith, Davis, Rentie in Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma during Indian Territory designation (late 1800s) and early 1900s
For Burial 41 (Male from 2022 exhumation)
- No specific surname identified, yet – Genealogy team will reach out to DNA relatives; location not yet identified
Luckily, the genetic genealogy matches to the unidentified victims are not incredibly distant relatives. While they are not direct descendants either, they are somewhere in the middle—what IMF genealogy case manager Alison Wilde calls “valuable DNA relatives.”
“They are definitely not close enough to be descendants or next-of-kin, but they are valuable in that it gives the genealogy team something to work with,” said Wilde.
Wilde said some of the matched relatives are young, which is encouraging because that means there are older generations the IGG team can connect with and reach out to for DNA samples/comparisons. Whether it’s DNA or just oral family history, information from potential matches will help the IGG team narrow down and zero in on specific parts of a family tree.
“We do not know that the remains are Race Massacre victims, but we do know the remains share DNA with people living in America today,” said Bynum. “As a mayor trying to identify our murdered neighbors, my plea is a simple one. If you see a place you or relatives have lived is flagged, and you have a family history in Tulsa, please reach out—you can help our community take an important step toward the truth.”
Wilde said her genealogy team did not reach out to anyone before the announcement was made earlier this morning as they did not feel it was appropriate. But now with the information public, the team has a list of two to three people per burial they plan to contact ASAP. Depending on the information received, the IGG team could shave weeks or even months off the identification process.
The team used the GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA databases to generate the matches, as those are the only ones that allow comparison to unidentified human remains. IMF partnered with the DNA Doe Project, Identifinders International, and DNA Detectives to complete this portion of the IGG work.
1921Graves investigation
Today’s breakthrough goes back to 2018 when the City of Tulsa announced they would reexamine the potential of graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, in which a white mob looted and burned Tulsa’s Black Greenwood district, often referred to as Black Wall Street. The massacre killed up to 300 Black people.
Forensic anthropologists immediately focused on Oaklawn Cemetery, where historical paperwork indicated at least 18 victims of the massacre were “buried.” During the years-long investigation, forensic anthropologists exhumed 27 human remains from Oaklawn that could possibly be Tulsa Race Massacre victims.
Scientists removed femurs and teeth from 22 of the excavated victims, and sent the samples to Intermountain Forensics, a non-profit forensic DNA lab, in January 2022. IMF Director Danny Hellwig and his experienced team then successfully extracted DNA from the remains to provide a profile for investigative genetic genealogists to compare to living relatives.
“Our team utilized the latest in DNA technologies and partnered with a vast array of the most influential and knowledge partners in ancient DNA, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics,” said Hellwig.
While the remains in Hellwig’s laboratory do not show obvious signs of fatal gunshot wounds, nothing can be ruled out—or in—just yet. Even if the unidentified remains are not victims of the massacre, the team says the results will still be impactful and help move the overall investigation forward. For example, the anthropology and archeology team can benefit from a better understanding of the layout of Oaklawn Cemetery, including where non-Tulsa Race Massacre victims are buried.
“As a genealogy team, we’re very excited to return any information to the anthropology and archeology team because we know they know how to utilize that to direct their next efforts,” said Wilde. “The goal is to find and identify the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre, and identifying people buried around them—even if they are not victims—will be helpful to the endeavor.”
Future investigation and analysis
While the IGG team works to contact relatives and build family trees, Hellwig’s forensic scientists will continue to process more samples in the lab at IMF. He says there are four samples about to be processed, and another three he is confident they can obtain results from using advanced DNA techniques.
“This is a reminder of the importance of forensic science in obtaining the truth, for giving a voice to the voiceless,” said Hellwig. “We are taught as forensic DNA scientists to remain agnostic and impartial, to be neutral observers of the evidence. In this particular case, I can say our team has an emotional investment in this investigation and process. We are putting our hearts and souls into this truly pioneering work. We will continue to work meticulously to leave no stone unturned.”
Bynum said the 1921Graves committee is awaiting the final report from the excavation team to make a decision on if/when there will be a third excavation. In the meantime, the U.S. government has awarded the city of Tulsa a $1 million Emmett Till grant to further fund the current IGG process, as well as conduct IGG training.