A distressing situation is currently unfolding in Jackson, Mississippi, as 215 bodies were recently unearthed in unmarked graves behind the state jail. The families of those laid to rest in the “pauper’s field” behind the Hinds County Penal Farm were never notified of their loved one’s passing, depriving them of the opportunity to claim the remains and pay their final respects.
Dexter Wade was buried in a recent grave at the paupers’ burial ground in Hinds County, along with 215 other unidentified bodies.Photo bySource: PBS News Hour
The magnitude and extent of this tragedy, along with the profound disregard for human life, are still largely undisclosed. However, the reported details thus far are deeply unsettling. The resting places of the victims are marked only by a numerical identifier and a metal rod. The bodies were not preserved, provided with coffins, or given a proper burial. Inmates were responsible for digging the graves, and it is likely that they also carried out the burials.