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Courtney C. Siegert, Timothy P. Gocha, Kate Spradley, Chloe P. McDaneldForensic Anthropology Center at Texas State, Department of Anthropology, Texas State University
Operation Identification: An Effort Towards Identifying
Migrant Remains from South Texas
BackgroundA humanitarian crisis has developed in South Texas due to
the increase in migrant deaths, with Brooks County at its
epicenter. Although located 75 miles north of the US-Mexico
border (Figure 1), a Border Patrol checkpoint (Figure 2) is
located in Falfurrias, Brooks County where many migrants
perish trying to circumvent the checkpoint. Since 2011 the
Brook County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has recovered the
remains of 438 suspected migrants, though it is likely this
statistic is a gross underestimate as many missing migrants
have undoubtedly not been discovered due to the vast,
sparsely populated brush terrain. Historically, most of these
victims were buried as ‘unknowns’ without DNA collection or
any other attempt at identification.
In 2013 and 2014 Baylor University and the University of
Indianapolis exhumed many of these presumed migrants
from Sacred Heart Cemetery in Brooks County (Figure 3).
Since 2013, Operation Identification (OpID), located at the
Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS), has
received 197 sets of remains most of which were exhumed
from Sacred Heart.
OpID aims to facilitate the identification and repatriation of
human remains found along or near the South Texas border
through scientific analysis and collaboration with
governmental and non-governmental organizations utilizing a
holistic anthropological approach towards identification.
Biocultural Approach to Identification and RepatriationOpID incorporates a holistic anthropological approach towards identification including traditional
osteological, dental, isotopic, genetic, and histological analyses
Biocultural lines of evidence (Birkby et al. 2008), including analyses of missing persons reports for
comparison of antemortem and postmortem data, and the examination of personal effects have
contributed to the production of identification hypotheses for several cases, which are used by
local and international non-governmental organizations to locate family reference samples for
genetic comparison.
Personal effects and biocultural modifications (Figures 4-9) can also facilitate closure for the
families and acceptance of an identification through genetic association. Additionally, FACTS
recently provided a space for viewing the deceased for family members who are unable to
accompany their loved ones to the decedent's country of origin to attend funeral rites. Social
workers and members of the religious community have been present to assist family members, as
well as forensic anthropologists to explain the scientific analyses that led to identification.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge and thank the student volunteers at Texas State University,
Baylor University led by Dr. Lori Baker, and at the University of Indianapolis led by Dr. Krista
Latham for contributing countless hours to the project, the continued collaboration and
support from the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office and surrounding community, the Equipo
Argentino de Antropología Forense, the South Texas Human Rights Center, the Colibrí
Center for Human Rights, and all of our partners in the Forensic Border Coalition. This
project is partially funded by the Ed Rachal Foundation and the Governor’s office for the
state of Texas.
Continuing EffortsStudents and faculty continue to work with the BCSO
conducting pedestrian searches and recovery of human
remains (Figure 11). OpID project will be returning to Sacred
Heart Cemetery to finish exhumations at the beginning of
2017.
Numbers to NamesDespite public perception and the assumption that most
migrant are from Mexico, information from missing persons
reports collected by the South Texas Human Rights Center
and identifications of the OpID remains suggests the majority
of migrants entering Texas are from Central America (Figure
10). Of the 18 positively identified individuals, only four are
Mexican (Figure 11).
Figure 1. County map of Texas showing location
of Brooks County (red) (citation?)
Figure 2. Year-to-date seizures sign at Falfurrias
Border Patrol checkpoint
Figure 3. Grave markers located at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Brooks County, TX
Figure 9. Skull with dentures of OpID case that contributed to an identification hypothesis
Figure 7. Note recovered with OpID case with a hand drawn heart on front (a) and St. Michael
the Archangel prayer on back (b) (photo credit: Jen Reel, Texas Observer)
Figure 5. Acrylic partial denture with silver colored
star inlay from an OpID case
Figure 6. Religious iconography recovered with an
OpID case (photo credit: Jen Reel, Texas Observer)
Figure 4. Bible recovered with an OpID case
Figure 8. Prayer card found with an OpID case
a b
Figure 11. Texas State University students beginning recovery efforts of remains located
during a pedestrian search of private ranchland
Figure 10. Google map of known migrant routes from
Central America through Mexico (modified from
Amnesty International 2011)
Guatemala
(28%)
Mexico
(22%)
Honduras
(6%)
• A biological profile including sex, ancestry, age, and stature is developed using
population specific methods when available (e.g., Spradley et al. 2015)
• A complete series of dental radiographs is taken
• Case background, demographics, individualizing characteristics, and cleaned personal
effects are uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Person system (NamUs)
• DNA sample(s) are submitted to the University of North Texas Center for Human
Identification (UNTCHI) in accordance with the Texas Code of Criminal Procedures.
References
For a digital copy of this poster please scan the QR code, or email [email protected]
Figure 11. Graph showing country of origin
for confirmed identifications from OpID
Amnesty International. 2011. Invisible victims: migrants on the move in
Mexico.
Birkby WH, Fenton TW, Anderson BE. 2008. Identifying Southwest
Hispanics using nonmetric traits and the cultural profile. J Forensic Sci
53:29-33.
Spradley MK, Anderson BE, Tise ML. 2015. Postcranialsex estimation
criteria for Mexican Hispanics. J Forensic Sci 60: S27-S31.