Members Of Public Oversight Committee Share Opinions On Oaklawn Cemetery Excavation

Archaeologists discovered 17 unmarked adult burials in two areas at Oaklawn Cemetery.

Scientists have not confirmed whether they found any victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre; however, members of the Public Oversight Committee have some strong opinions on both sides.

Public Oversight Committee member and State Representative Regina Goodwin wants more details on the discovery of 17 burials, which have not yet been removed from the ground.

"Were they the wooden boxes that you were looking for? Were they stacked a certain way? We're not getting that information," said State Rep. Regina Goodwin.

Archeologists said 12 coffins were found Friday just west of where two known massacre victims' headstones are.

Crews found five more adult burials just south of where a man with multiple gunshot wounds was found last summer.

Public Oversight Committee Chair Kavin Ross reacted to the Washington Post on Friday about the discovery of the additional coffins.

He told the paper, “It just took the wind out of me.”

Ross went on to tell the Post he believes these are victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, saying in part, "You would have to prove to me that they are not. In my heart, I believe they are. How are you going to stack people next door so close like this?"

Since we don't know who the bodies belong to, it's unknown how they died. But no matter what the opinions are, the work is far from over and archeologists plan to be at Oaklawn for a few more weeks.

Goodwin said she's still concerned about last week's efforts to get DNA samples from some of the same remains removed and reburied last summer.

"How ridiculous is it that we are going back to disinter the very remains that we asked them not to bury last year," said Rep. Goodwin. "I was told that they had gotten all the DNA that they needed to get from those remains. That is why they hurried and put them back in the ground. So, to come back this year and say you're disinterring them to see if you can get more DNA, either there was incompetence on the front end or there's incompetence now. So, which is it?"

Goodwin went on to say she would like them to consider other areas.

"Why not go the Clyde Eddy spot I've been asking about for four years? Why not go to Crown Hill Cemetry where we have oral history?"

Tuesday afternoon is the earliest the city said the remains from the 17 burials recently discovered could be removed from the ground.