200+ bodies found in unmarked graves in Jackson, MS

I don't know if this warrants a case thread but it's outrageous. These three men were all found WITH ID, and at least two had been REPORTED MISSING. They still tossed them in pauper's graves and didn't notify their families.

Mothers of 3 missing men found buried in pauper's graves speak out

A nationally known attorney is representing three Mississippi families who learned months after their sons died that they had been buried in pauper's graves with markers with nothing more than a number.

www.wapt.com

Mothers of 3 missing men found buried in pauper's graves speak out​

A nationally known attorney is representing three Mississippi families who learned months after their sons died that they had been buried in pauper's graves with markers with nothing more than a number.

Attorney Ben Crump has been hired by the family of 39-year-old Jonathan David Hankins, who was reported missing to the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office in July 2022. The department even posted pictures of Hankins, of Florence, on social media and said he was last seen at his mother’s home in Star.

Crump said Hankins was buried in a pauper's grave in Hinds County in August 2022, but his family didn’t learn until recently where he was.

Crump is also representing the family of Dexter Wade, who died after he was struck by an off-duty Jackson police officer in a department vehicle. Wade was buried in the same potter's field as Hankins, despite his family reporting him missing. When Wade’s family learned months later of his death and burial, they had his body exhumed and autopsied before giving him “a proper” funeral and burial.

The third case is that of 40-year-old Marrio Moore, whose tarp-wrapped body was found Feb. 2 by a passerby.

Crump said each of the men was buried behind the Raymond Detention Center. He said the families are all in a "fraternity that nobody wants to be a part of." Crump said the families shouldn't have to file lawsuits to get answers from the Jackson Police Department and the coroner's office.

"You can atone for past sins by doing the right thing. The question is, will you?" Crump said.

All three women said their sons were found with identification, but the families still were not notified of their deaths.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I don't know if this warrants a case thread but it's outrageous. These three men were all found WITH ID, and at least two had been REPORTED MISSING. They still tossed them in pauper's graves and didn't notify their families.

Mothers of 3 missing men found buried in pauper's graves speak out

A nationally known attorney is representing three Mississippi families who learned months after their sons died that they had been buried in pauper's graves with markers with nothing more than a number.

www.wapt.com

Mothers of 3 missing men found buried in pauper's graves speak out​

A nationally known attorney is representing three Mississippi families who learned months after their sons died that they had been buried in pauper's graves with markers with nothing more than a number.

Attorney Ben Crump has been hired by the family of 39-year-old Jonathan David Hankins, who was reported missing to the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office in July 2022. The department even posted pictures of Hankins, of Florence, on social media and said he was last seen at his mother’s home in Star.

Crump said Hankins was buried in a pauper's grave in Hinds County in August 2022, but his family didn’t learn until recently where he was.

Crump is also representing the family of Dexter Wade, who died after he was struck by an off-duty Jackson police officer in a department vehicle. Wade was buried in the same potter's field as Hankins, despite his family reporting him missing. When Wade’s family learned months later of his death and burial, they had his body exhumed and autopsied before giving him “a proper” funeral and burial.

The third case is that of 40-year-old Marrio Moore, whose tarp-wrapped body was found Feb. 2 by a passerby.

Crump said each of the men was buried behind the Raymond Detention Center. He said the families are all in a "fraternity that nobody wants to be a part of." Crump said the families shouldn't have to file lawsuits to get answers from the Jackson Police Department and the coroner's office.

"You can atone for past sins by doing the right thing. The question is, will you?" Crump said.

All three women said their sons were found with identification, but the families still were not notified of their deaths.

This is outrageous if true they had ID and were reported missing. NO excuses unless contact was made and efforts made to find family. UNREAL.

 

[Cousin Dupree]

I'd make a thread for this.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ok so this situation has grown massively so I did pull these posts into a thread…

215 bodies found in Jackson, Mississippi exposed | FOX 26 Houston

An alarming situation has unfolded in Jackson, Mississippi, where 215 bodies were discovered buried in unmarked graves behind a state jail.

www.fox26houston.com

215 bodies found in Jackson, Mississippi exposed​

An alarming situation has unfolded in Jackson, Mississippi, where 215 bodies were discovered buried in unmarked graves behind a state jail. Families of the deceased were left in the dark until last month. Some grave sites were only identified by a number and a metal rod, raising concerns about the lack of transparency and respect in handling the deceased.

The families of the deceased's attorneys are calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding these unmarked graves.

The revelation began with Dexter Wade's death in March 2023, in which a police officer fatally hit him. Shockingly, his family was not informed of his death, and he was buried without their knowledge. Activist Arthur "Silky Slim" Reed, working alongside attorney Ben Crump, sheds light on the distressing details.

Wade's case took a disturbing turn when it was revealed that he had identification on him. This identification was given to the lead detective by the medical examiner. However, the detective claimed to have called without receiving an answer and took no further action. Reed says the situation in Mississippi is deeply troubling, with six additional bodies now discovered in similar unmarked graves.

Reed describes the grim scene at the burial site, where buzzards flew overhead. The bodies were placed in shadowed graves without embalming, leading to a disturbing stench that attracted scavengers. He emphasizes the inhumanity of such treatment and calls for a more dignified handling of the deceased.

The families affected were not notified, and many still believed their loved ones were missing. Reed emphasizes that this issue extends beyond race, as both white and black individuals are buried in the same manner. The lack of identification and the practice of assigning only numbers to the graves further compound the anguish of the families involved.

Despite the alarming nature of these revelations, a humane resolution is needed. Reed, Crump, and attorney Dennis Week advocate for a federal investigation to uncover the truth behind these unmarked graves. They also advocate for the potential violation of civil rights in cases like Dexter Wade's.

In Dexter Wade's case, numerous civil rights were violated. These included failing to notify the family and burying him without permission despite knowing his identity. Reed expresses deep concern about the actions taken by the authorities considering an ongoing lawsuit involving the police.

The families affected are demanding justice and transparency.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

8 years and 215 souls: The names of the unclaimed people buried in Hinds County’s pauper’s field

See the names of the hundreds of people buried in a pauper's field in Hinds County, Mississippi, where several families found their loved ones after long searches.

news.yahoo.com

8 years and 215 souls: The names of the unclaimed people buried in Hinds County’s pauper’s field​

The unclaimed dead of Hinds County, Mississippi, are buried along a dirt road on the grounds of a jail work farm, their graves marked with just a metal rod and a number.

Every few months, inmates dig new graves and add new bodies to the hundreds already buried in unkempt plots.

For centuries, the solemn duty of burying people who died with no money or known family has fallen to local governments. Some coroners and medical examiners conduct exhaustive searches for surviving family members, scouring the internet and government databases for clues.

But others do not complete the job.

This has become evident in Hinds County, where NBC News has found several cases in which people died and were buried in the pauper’s field even though their families were looking for them — or weren’t hard to find.

The families say they would have gladly claimed their loved ones' bodies and given them a proper funeral. Instead, they say, the pauper’s burials left them traumatized and damaged their trust in the government.

Blame for these botched cases has fallen primarily on the Hinds County coroner’s office and the Jackson Police Department. Each agency points a finger at the other.

Meanwhile, other families are left wondering if their missing loved ones were also given pauper’s burials in that desolate stretch of land, beyond a horse stable and scrapyard.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Ok so this situation has grown massively so I did pull these posts into a thread…

215 bodies found in Jackson, Mississippi exposed | FOX 26 Houston

An alarming situation has unfolded in Jackson, Mississippi, where 215 bodies were discovered buried in unmarked graves behind a state jail.

www.fox26houston.com

215 bodies found in Jackson, Mississippi exposed​

An alarming situation has unfolded in Jackson, Mississippi, where 215 bodies were discovered buried in unmarked graves behind a state jail. Families of the deceased were left in the dark until last month. Some grave sites were only identified by a number and a metal rod, raising concerns about the lack of transparency and respect in handling the deceased.

The families of the deceased's attorneys are calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding these unmarked graves.

The revelation began with Dexter Wade's death in March 2023, in which a police officer fatally hit him. Shockingly, his family was not informed of his death, and he was buried without their knowledge. Activist Arthur "Silky Slim" Reed, working alongside attorney Ben Crump, sheds light on the distressing details.

Wade's case took a disturbing turn when it was revealed that he had identification on him. This identification was given to the lead detective by the medical examiner. However, the detective claimed to have called without receiving an answer and took no further action. Reed says the situation in Mississippi is deeply troubling, with six additional bodies now discovered in similar unmarked graves.

Reed describes the grim scene at the burial site, where buzzards flew overhead. The bodies were placed in shadowed graves without embalming, leading to a disturbing stench that attracted scavengers. He emphasizes the inhumanity of such treatment and calls for a more dignified handling of the deceased.

The families affected were not notified, and many still believed their loved ones were missing. Reed emphasizes that this issue extends beyond race, as both white and black individuals are buried in the same manner. The lack of identification and the practice of assigning only numbers to the graves further compound the anguish of the families involved.

Despite the alarming nature of these revelations, a humane resolution is needed. Reed, Crump, and attorney Dennis Week advocate for a federal investigation to uncover the truth behind these unmarked graves. They also advocate for the potential violation of civil rights in cases like Dexter Wade's.

In Dexter Wade's case, numerous civil rights were violated. These included failing to notify the family and burying him without permission despite knowing his identity. Reed expresses deep concern about the actions taken by the authorities considering an ongoing lawsuit involving the police.

The families affected are demanding justice and transparency.

One can't help but wonder in Wade's case if it didn't have anything to do with the fact a police officer fatally hit him. And in ALL, ,the AUTHORITIES involved are showing a sick disregard for the deceased and the families. No embalming. More.

All involved should be out of jobs and PROSECUTED themselves. They call it a "pauper's" thing but how is it they would know what a family would do as to burial when families were NOT notified?!
This is CRIMINAL and outrageous but I doubt a single authority will be criminally prosecuted.

 

[RoundPeg]

8 years and 215 souls: The names of the unclaimed people buried in Hinds County’s pauper’s field

See the names of the hundreds of people buried in a pauper's field in Hinds County, Mississippi, where several families found their loved ones after long searches.

news.yahoo.com

8 years and 215 souls: The names of the unclaimed people buried in Hinds County’s pauper’s field​

The unclaimed dead of Hinds County, Mississippi, are buried along a dirt road on the grounds of a jail work farm, their graves marked with just a metal rod and a number.

Every few months, inmates dig new graves and add new bodies to the hundreds already buried in unkempt plots.

For centuries, the solemn duty of burying people who died with no money or known family has fallen to local governments. Some coroners and medical examiners conduct exhaustive searches for surviving family members, scouring the internet and government databases for clues.

But others do not complete the job.

This has become evident in Hinds County, where NBC News has found several cases in which people died and were buried in the pauper’s field even though their families were looking for them — or weren’t hard to find.

The families say they would have gladly claimed their loved ones' bodies and given them a proper funeral. Instead, they say, the pauper’s burials left them traumatized and damaged their trust in the government.

Blame for these botched cases has fallen primarily on the Hinds County coroner’s office and the Jackson Police Department. Each agency points a finger at the other.

Meanwhile, other families are left wondering if their missing loved ones were also given pauper’s burials in that desolate stretch of land, beyond a horse stable and scrapyard.

This is outrageous.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Mississippi Pauper's Grave Where Police Buried Dexter Wade Without Telling His Mother Has 671 More Names in Logbook

A logbook for a pauper's cemetery in Mississippi that has been in the spotlight since at least three families say their missing loved ones had been buried there without their knowledge or consent indicates that more than 600 people have been buried in the graveyard since 2008, according to reports.

themessenger.com

Mississippi Pauper’s Grave Where Police Buried Dexter Wade Without Telling His Mother Has 671 More Names in Logbook​

A logbook for a pauper's cemetery in Mississippi that has been in the spotlight since at least three families say their missing loved ones had been buried there without their knowledge or consent indicates that more than 600 people have been buried in the graveyard since 2008, according to reports.

The ledger for the Hind County's Pauper's Cemetery contains 672 handwritten names on 14 pages, detailing the person's name, age, race and gender, as well as birth and death dates, WAPT reported.

The logbook dates back to 2008.

"How many more? We need justice. We need accountability. We need some answers," she said at the news conference, the Clarion Ledger reported.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Mississippi Pauper's Grave Where Police Buried Dexter Wade Without Telling His Mother Has 671 More Names in Logbook

A logbook for a pauper's cemetery in Mississippi that has been in the spotlight since at least three families say their missing loved ones had been buried there without their knowledge or consent indicates that more than 600 people have been buried in the graveyard since 2008, according to reports.

themessenger.com

Mississippi Pauper’s Grave Where Police Buried Dexter Wade Without Telling His Mother Has 671 More Names in Logbook​

A logbook for a pauper's cemetery in Mississippi that has been in the spotlight since at least three families say their missing loved ones had been buried there without their knowledge or consent indicates that more than 600 people have been buried in the graveyard since 2008, according to reports.

The ledger for the Hind County's Pauper's Cemetery contains 672 handwritten names on 14 pages, detailing the person's name, age, race and gender, as well as birth and death dates, WAPT reported.

The logbook dates back to 2008.

"How many more? We need justice. We need accountability. We need some answers," she said at the news conference, the Clarion Ledger reported.

That's an average of around 40 per year and 3 to 4 a month so almost weekly I'm going to say. How HARD did they ever try to find loved ones?! And if they did what options were there?

 

[Mel70]

That's an average of around 40 per year and 3 to 4 a month so almost weekly I'm going to say. How HARD did they ever try to find loved ones?! And if they did what options were there?

I wondered that too. Going back to their books"2008". I wondered about these families.