City of Tulsa announces major breakthrough in 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Graves Investigation

TULSA, Okla. — The City of Tulsa has announced a major breakthrough in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Graves Investigation.

Wednesday morning, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum stood alongside forensic scientists and genealogists from Intermountain Forensics to announce that six of the remains excavated from Oaklawn Cemetery have been linked to potential surnames and locations of interest.

Mayor Bynum is strongly encouraging people across the country to check the following surnames and locations to see if any are present in their family tree:

Burial 1

• Surnames of Interest: No specific surname identified, yet – Genealogy team will reach out to potential DNA relatives
• Area(s): North Carolina
• About the burial: Female from 2021 exhumation, with additional DNA gathered in 2022 exhumation. Burial was in a matching casket to Burial 13 with an “At Rest” plaque found. No apparent gunshot wound or trauma was present.

Burial 3

• Surnames/Location of Interest #1: Scott, Huntley, Daniel, Meriwether, Sims, Bohannon
• Area(s):  Coweta County, Georgia, and surrounding counties
• Surnames/Location of Interest #2: Benjamin, Willis
• Area(s): Austin County, Texas
• About the burial: Male from 2021 exhumation, with additional DNA gathered in 2022 exhumation. Burial was in a plain wooden casket and no apparent gunshot wound or trauma was present.

Burial 13

• Surnames/Locations of Interest #1: Maggett
• Area(s): Leflore County, Mississippi
• Surnames/Locations of Interest #2: Strong, McGee
• Area(s): Union Parish, Louisiana, and Texas
• Surnames/Locations of Interest #3: Still
• Area(s): Oklahoma during Indian Territory designation
• About the burial: Female from 2021 exhumation, with additional DNA gathered in 2022 exhumation. Burial was in a matching casket to Burial 1 with an “At Rest” plaque found. No apparent gunshot wound or trauma was present.

Burial 15

• Surnames/Locations of Interest #1: Holden, Larrimore
• Area(s): Sabine Parish, Louisiana
• Surnames/Locations of Interest #2: Luckett, Mayre
• Area(s): Rapides Parish, Louisiana
• About the burial: Male from 2021 exhumation, with additional DNA gathered in 2022 exhumation. Burial was in a plain wooden casket and no apparent gunshot wound or trauma was present.

Burial 17

• Surnames/Locations of Interest: Smith, Davis, Rentie
• Area(s): Alabama, Texas, and Oklahoma during Indian Territory designation and early 1900s
• About the burial: Male from 2021 exhumation. Burial was in a plain wooden casket and no apparent gunshot wound or trauma was present.

Burial 41

• Potential Last Name(s): No specific surname identified, yet – Genealogy team will reach out to DNA relatives
• Area(s): N/A
• About the burial: Male from 2022 exhumation. Burial was in a plain wooden casket and no apparent gunshot wound or trauma was present.

The City said that, so far, these six remains have not been definitively linked to the Tulsa Race Massacre.

However, the City says that this is a massive step forward in determining whether these six remains are indeed victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

If your family tree has the surnames in the location of interest for any of the unknown burials, you’re asked to contact the genealogy team at Intermountain Forensics. Information can be submitted online by clicking the “Provide Information” button at www.tulsa1921dna.org.

You can also find instructions for participating with DNA in this project on the same website. You can also email the genealogy team directly at idteam@tulsa1921dna.org with any questions or concerns about this process.