Summary of Findings on the Investigation into the Deaths ...

Summary of Findings on the Investigation into the Deaths and Burials at the Former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida

Submitted to: Governor Rick Scott; Attorney General Pam Bondi; Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater; Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam; and David Clark, Acting Director of State Lands, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Pursuant to: Land-Use Agreement among the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (Florida Cabinet and Governor), the Department of Environmental Protection, and the University of South Florida, August 6, 2013

Submitted by: Erin H. Kimmerle, Ph.D.; E. Christian Wells, Ph.D.; and Antoinette Jackson, Ph.D.; Florida Institute for Forensic Anthropology & Applied Sciences, Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. SOC 107 Tampa, Florida.

January 18, 2016

Collaborators:

Location and Collection of Family Reference Samples Sheriff David Gee, Det. Greg Thomas; and Maj. Robert Ura Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, 2224 N. Falkenburg Rd. Tampa, FL 33619

DNA Testing and Database Management Dixie Peters and Mike Nance Missing Persons-Forensic & Investigative Genetics, , University of Texas Health Sciences Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107

The materials in this document are copyrighted. To cite this document: Kimmerle EH, Wells EC, Jackson A. January 18, 2016. Summary of Findings on the Investigation into the Deaths and Burials at the Former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, Florida. University of South Florida: forensics.usf.edu/boothill

Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ 11 GENERAL FINDINGS ................................................................................................................ 14 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS..................................................................................... 17

Structuring a Framework for Interpretation and Analysis ..................................................................... 20 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................. 22

The Road to Reformation ........................................................................................................................ 22 Era of Segregation in the New South under Jim Crow ........................................................................... 23 Creating Reform--Starting a Reform School.......................................................................................... 25 DEFINING THE BURIAL GROUND ......................................................................................... 30 GPR RESULTS FOR THE NORTH CAMPUS............................................................................ 36 FINDINGS FROM EXCAVATION OF BOOT HILL BURIAL GROUND................................ 43 ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESULTS: INVESTIGATIONS ON THE SOUTH CAMPUS .............. 59 The 1914 Fire.......................................................................................................................................... 59 The Dormitory Structure......................................................................................................................... 59 Fire Investigations .................................................................................................................................. 60 Possible Origin of Fire ........................................................................................................................... 62 Fire Fatalities ......................................................................................................................................... 63 Archaeological Prospection for the Dormitory ...................................................................................... 64 Findings of Burned Dormitory Excavation............................................................................................. 68 FINDINGS FROM GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTION FOR ADDITIONAL BURIAL AREAS 84 HUMAN IDENTIFICATION SUMMARY ................................................................................. 90 Human Identification Results.................................................................................................................. 91 GENERAL FINDINGS FROM SKELETAL ANALYSIS........................................................... 98 TRENDS IN MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY....................................................................... 106 Findings about other Suspicious Deaths .............................................................................................. 109 Convicted Cases of Homicide ............................................................................................................... 112 Variation in Reporting .......................................................................................................................... 116 CHEMICAL AND ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS FOR GEOREFERENCING BIRTH LOCATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 117 INFLUENZA AND PNEUMONIA OUTBREAKS 1918 AND 1932....................................... 121

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NEXT STEPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................... 128 EDUCATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ........................................................................ 130 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................... 133 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 140

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the Florida Governor and Cabinet, Legislature, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Juvenile Justice who sponsored and enabled this effort ? bringing resolution to many families, and in particular Attorney General Pam Bondi, CFO Jeff Atwater, Robert Tornillo, Emery Gainey, Rob Johnson, and David Clark, for all of their continued assistance.

Funding for the Dozier school project was provided by the Florida Legislature; USF Office of the Provost; Award No. 2013-DN-BX-K002 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice; and private donations. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice. Additional funding and support was provided by Tom Dobies who provided caskets and funeral support to several of the families whose brothers were repatriated and other private donations.

More than 100 people from at least 20 agencies volunteered their time, skills, and expertise to help with this effort, many of whom, but not all are listed here. We are extremely grateful to them for their time and assistance. Additionally, many people provided assistance, support, charitable contributions and consultation, as well as, much needed supplies and resources from dental picks to back hoes. We are especially grateful to everyone who contributed to this project and the many families of the missing boys. We thank Glen and Richard Varnadoe, Ovell Krell, Mattie Jackson, Ida Cummings, Cherry Wilson, Tananarive Due, John Due, Robert Stephens, David Daniel, Robert Straley; Robert Bolt; Dale Landry, Elmore Bryant, Rev. Russell Meyer, Cpl. Tom McAndrew, and Tom Masterson. We are grateful to the many survivors, former inmates, the White House Boys, the Black Boys of Dozier, the NAACP, and local residents who provided information and shared their stories and experiences with us. We are very grateful to the University of South Florida for their continued and outstanding support: Dr. Judy Genshaft, Dr. Ralph Wilcox, Dr. Eric Eisenberg, Lara Wade, Vickie Chachere, and Gerald Solis, among others. We are very grateful to Senator Bill Nelson and Susie Perez Quinn, Digna Alvarez, Mohsin Syed, and Clint Odom for their continued efforts on behalf of the families and all of the assistance they provided throughout the past several years, such as helping to open access of the White House to the public. We thank Mary Mills and Lori Jernigan for their assistance on site. We would also like to thank our students who contributed greatly to the research in this investigation and final analysis ? Kelsee Hentschel, Liotta Noche-Dowdy, Kirsten Verostick, Carrie LeGarde, Kaniqua Robinson, Jaime Sykes, Gennifer Goad, Susanna Pratt, and Martin Menz.

PROJECT VOLUNTEERS AND CONTRIBUTORS

USF Anthropology Students Kelsee Hentschel Liotta Noche-Dowdy Carrie LeGarde Jaime Sykes Gennifer Goad Kaniqua Robinson Kirsten Verostick Suzanna Pratt Martin Menz

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