First victim of 1921 Tulsa race massacre identified as Ogden man
Jul 12, 2024, 8:00 PM
This photograph shows men walking with their hands raised during the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. The fist victim was now identified.. (Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture/Gift of Cassandra P. Johnson Smith)
SALT LAKE CITY — Intermountain Forensics, a Utah non-profit, identified the first victim in the historic 1921 Tulsa race massacre using genetic testing. Up until now, victims of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre have been unidentified.
According to the Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences, genetic testing refers to the process of examining DNA and RNA to identify a victim. This testing uses scientific techniques to analyze DNA from biological samples.
CEO of Intermountain Forensics, Karra Porter, said the company felt honored to be selected for the project. Then, they were shocked when results came back that hit very close to home.
“It was someone who had lived in Ogden. We were flabbergasted,” Porter said.
It is unknown why the victim, identified as a man named C.L. Daniel, was in Tulsa at the time.
More to come
“It’s the first time when victims of a mass burial have been identified using the new genetic genealogy methods,” she said.
The forensic team is working on identifying many more victims.
Identifying the victims is a major step in the healing process for those who had relatives killed in the racially motivated crime, Porter said.
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