Three burials exhumed in Tulsa 1921 Graves Investigation at cemetery
Crews in Tulsa exhumed three sets of remains from Oaklawn Cemetery for forensic study as part of the ongoing 1921 Race Massacre graves investigation.
Crews working in Tulsa exhumed three sets of remains from two excavation plots on Tuesday. Field teams moved the burials to an on-site laboratory for more forensic study. Work paused on Wednesday because of rain.
The remains showed no visible signs of physical trauma. Field staff joined a funeral director to escort the caskets. Descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre also accompanied the remains.
Crews expect to resume their field work on Thursday morning. The overall search is in its sixth year at Oaklawn Cemetery.
Field teams examine historic cemetery grounds to locate and identify unmarked graves from the 1921 violence. Specialists then conduct forensic evaluations inside secure mobile laboratories. They look for physical trauma and collect samples for scientific review.
Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and field experts will speak publicly on Thursday at 11 a.m. The planned news briefing will take place at the cemetery site.
