Work by University of South Florida researchers on a graveyard at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida, is starting to pay dividends, and unlocking new mysteries.
Project leader, USF Associate Professor of Anthropology Erin Kimmerle, says her team has located and excavated the remains of 55 people - some of whom may have died under mysterious circumstances during the reform school's 100-year history.
That's five more bodies than previous research had indicated might be there and 24 more burials than official school records showed should be there."This is precisely why excavation was necessary: the only way to clearly establish the facts about the deaths and burials at the school is to follow scientific process, which we have been using, and as you can see, that process is yielding important new information", said Kimmerle.
DNA testing will be used to see if the remains can be identified. Researchers also released a list of 42 young men possibly buried at Dozier to see if any family member could be found to submit DNA samples for matching and possible identification.