Oaklawn Cemetery yields 78 graves in Tulsa Massacre probe

TULSA — Oaklawn Cemetery has yielded 78 new graves during the City of Tulsa’s fifth excavation as part of the ongoing 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre investigation .

Thirty-six of the graves were discovered this week, and three sets of remains were sent to the on-site osteology lab for further analysis. Observations indicate the newly examined remains are adults buried in plain wooden caskets.

Since the excavation began Oct. 14, six burials have been exhumed, including one confirmed with a gunshot wound. Overall, seven burials excavated at Oaklawn since 2021 have been confirmed with trauma linked to gunshot wounds .

Field work is expected to continue for at least another week.

For updates on the 1921 Graves Investigation, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/1921Graves .