Overview
- Tulsa began a fifth round of digging at Oaklawn Cemetery on Oct. 14, prompting a multi-week closure of the site.
- The new effort covers just over 1,900 square feet in the cemetery’s southwest corner, with site preparation followed by about three weeks of hand excavations, according to lead archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck.
- Researchers are prioritizing searches for male victims in plain caskets without handles, said forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield.
- Other potential locations such as Newblock Park remain under review, though extensive land alterations there complicate the archaeological record.
- Investigators have identified remains through DNA, including C.L. Daniel, James Goings, and George Melvin Gillispie, and the city is urging descendants to provide DNA samples as work continues with $1 million in funding approved in June.