DNA is the best chance for researchers to be the first to conclusively identify a 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victim's remains, they say.
Researchers think DNA is the best chance for the case known for now as "burial 27" to be the first conclusively identified victim of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
In a project update Wednesday with reporters, University of Oklahoma archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck expressed optimism the team's efforts could possibly have "successfully located the first victim of the massacre" after a young Black man was exhumed with two bullets from a potter's field corner of Oaklawn Cemetery.
But they might never get an answer for certain, said Phoebe Stubblefield, a forensic anthropologist and member of the research team.
"We have to do more investigation to connect the individuals to the circumstances of their death," she said Wednesday. "It's not enough to just exhume them and find they have been killed."
The work will take months with no guarantee of success, Stubblefield said, noting all the samples from Oaklawn sent off for analysis present difficult challenges for extracting DNA.
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If DNA can be extracted from the specimens sent to Utah Cold Case Coalition Intermountain Forensics, researchers hope it will help them find modern families related to named individuals from newspaper accounts and death certificates.
"That will be conclusive for me," Stubblefield said of the confidence in connecting an unmarked burial to a Tulsa Race Massacre slaying. "Because that will set the circumstances of 'Oh, you have a family member that was in Tulsa.' … It will depend on how well-documented individual family genealogies are."
She said that's one of the hurdles, that it's not enough for modern families to "have their DNA out there" — it has to be connected to actual relatives.
For those with family ties to the massacre who want to help researchers, Utah Cold Case Coalition Intermountain Forensics can assist. Email info@intermountainforensics.com with the subject line “1921 Graves" to find out how to participate.
"Some families will probably get genealogies out of this project from tracing relatives out of this investigation," Stubblefield said.
Photos: Oaklawn Cemetery considered as possible Race Massacre grave site
MASSACRE DIG
Angela Berg, forensic anthropologist with the State Medical Examiner's Office, searches through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Chief Amusan takes a break from searching through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Researchers and City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Angela Berg (left), forensic anthropologist with the State Medical Examiner's Office, and Chief Amusan look through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Terry Baccus watches as researchers and city of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre on Tuesday. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Researchers and City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Researchers and City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Researchers and City of Tulsa employees look through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. At bottom left are the head stones of Eddie Lockard and Reuben Everett, known victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Forensic Anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield pulls an item out of dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
A City of Tulsa employee works at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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Terry Baccus watches at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Debra Green, Assistant State Archaeologist, studies core samples at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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Angela Berg (left), forensic anthropologist with the State Medical Examiner's Office, and Chief Amusan look through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
State Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck(left) and forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield talk at the head stones of Reuben Everett and Eddie Lockard at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Everett and Lockard are known victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
A City of Tulsa employee works in the back of a truck as dirt is dumped into it at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
A city of Tulsa employee hands forensic anthropologist Angela Berg a bottle found at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Forensic Anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield looks through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Angela Berg (left), forensic anthropologist with the State Medical Examiner's Office, and Chief Amusan look through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Debra Green, Assistant State Archaeologist, studies core samples at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Core samples are taken at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Researchers and City of Tulsa employees look through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. At bottom right are the head stones of Eddie Lockard and Reuben Everett, known victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Teran Tease,5, watches at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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Forensic anthropologists Phoebe Stubblefield(left) and Angela Berg look at found items on a tray at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
State Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck(left) and forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield talk at the head stones of Reuben Everett and Eddie Lockard at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Everett and Lockard are known victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
City of Tulsa employees and researchers work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
A City of Tulsa employee works at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Forensic Anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield looks through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Terry Baccus watches as researchers and City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Chief Amusan takes a break from searching through dirt at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 21, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Debra Green, Assistant State Archaeologist, studies core samples at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Dirt is hauled off in a truck at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Core samples are studied at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Core samples are taken at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
A sign sits on the edge of a trench at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Monday, July 20, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Found items are stacked at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Forensic Anthropologist for the State Medical Examiner’s Office Angela Berg(left), State Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck and Tulsa Police Homicide Detective Jason White talk at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
John Patrick Kinnear takes photos up against the fence at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Senior researcher Scott Hammerstedt and State Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Senior researcher Scott Hammerstedt and State Archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Researchers and city of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery on Friday during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Scott Hammerstedt uses scanning equipment at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Scott Hammerstedt uses scanning equipment at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa Worldz
Mass graves search
The graves of Eddie Lockard and Reuben Everett are seen(bottom left) at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. Everett and Lockard are known victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Researchers and City of Tulsa employees work at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Friday, July 17, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
The site at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Thursday, July 16, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
A researcher takes a measurement at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Thursday, July 16, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Mayor G.T. Bynum views items that were dug up at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Thursday, July 16, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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Mayor G.T. Bynum talks with state archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Thursday, July 16, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Mayor G.T. Bynum tours the dig site at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Thursday, July 16, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield looks into a dig site at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 14, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Researchers and City of Tulsa workers pause for a prayer and moment of silence before working on a test excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery in a search for a possible mass burial site from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre July 15, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa Word
MASSACRE DIG
Robert Cleghorn(left) talks with hostorian Scott Ellsworth at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Cleghorn has access to newspapers from the days around the Tulsa Race Massacre. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass Grave - p3
Researchers and city of Tulsa workers dig at Oaklawn Cemetery during a July 2020 test excavation in the search for mass graves.
Mass graves search
Angela Berg, a forensic anthropologist with the State Medical Examiner's Office, works at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 14, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
MASSACRE DIG
Researchers remove an item shortly after a shell casing and possible bone were found at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 14, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mass graves search
Angela Berg, a forensic anthropologist with the State Medical Examiner's Office, talks to bystanders while working at Oaklawn Cemetery during a test excavation in the search for possible mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Tuesday, July 14, 2020. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
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Tulsa Race Massacre / The Tulsa World Library
