Victim of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre identified through DNA genealogy as WWI veteran

By Sarah Dewberry, CNN

(CNN) — A victim of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre whose remains were found during an archaeological dig at Oaklawn Cemetery has been identified through DNA genealogy, Tulsa officials announced.

Mayor G.T. Bynum announced at a news conference Friday the victim’s identity as C.L. Daniel, a veteran who served in World War I.

“His family did not know where he had been buried for the last 103 years until this week,” Bynum said.

Officials say Daniel was identified “using data submitted through GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA” and with the assistance of Intermountain Forensics, a laboratory that conducts genealogy work, according to a news release.

The dig is part of the 1921 Graves Investigation, an effort to identify currently unknown victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, CNN previously reported.

Alison Wilde, the genealogy case manager for the 1921 Graves Investigation, said that they compared the DNA profiles and the GEDmatch in the family tree databases.

People who have taken DNA tests to create family tree databases “have contributed so much to this research,” she said.

Then, they contacted individuals who had matching DNA relatives to see who was buried at Oaklawn Cemetery, according to the news release.

Daniel, born in Newnan, Georgia, was one of seven sons to Thomas and Amanda Merriweather.

“It was only through those additional DNA comparisons that we were able to narrow our focus down to a set of brothers and begin requesting records of their lives which led to the records from the National Archive,” Wilde said.

A letter obtained from the National Archives also contributed to Daniel’s identification, the release states.

“Contained in the records (from the National Archives) was the most convincing piece of evidence tying him to the Tulsa Race Massacre – a letter from C. L.’s family attorney written to the US Veterans Administration on behalf of C. L.’s mother regarding C. L.’s survivor benefits,” according to the release.

With the help of the National Archives, officials found records showing Daniel was drafted into the US Army in 1918, was stationed at Camp Gordon and then honorably discharged in December 1919, the news release said.

Another letter, written by Daniel in February 1921, showed that he was in Ogden, Utah, and was trying to make his way back home to his mother in Georgia, officials said at the news conference.

Wilde said that this letter came from the same records request, which was written to the Veterans Administration and the War Risk Insurance Department.

There was no mention of Tulsa in the 1921 letter, Wilde said.

Officials said they could only assume that in his efforts to travel back to Georgia, he went through Tulsa, since his remains were found in the city.

The circumstances of the veteran’s death are unknown, officials say. His remains showed no signs of gunshot wounds, according to Bynum.

Bynum said Friday Daniel’s identification offers “hope that other remains found in similar circumstances” can also be identified.

Bynum said on Facebook Monday officials “have written documentation that 18 unidentified victims were buried.” He reiterated that fact at Friday’s news conference.

“This identification affirms our need to continue this search with the knowledge that identification and reunification is possible,” he said.

Tulsa is working to solidify the next steps in organizing Daniel’s proper burial, which “will depend entirely on the wishes of C. L.’s next of kin.”

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