Unveiling Silent Burials: Over 200 Individuals Laid to Rest in Unmarked Graves Spark Concerns in Mississippi

A recent report sheds light on the discreet burial of more than 200 individuals in unmarked graves behind a Mississippi jail, prompting concerns among affected families. The revelation follows the disclosure of Dexter Wade’s death and the subsequent burial of his body in a pauper’s grave. NBC News released a list containing 215 names, revealing others buried in a similar fashion in Hinds County.

Wade’s demise occurred in March 2023 when an off-duty corporal, whose identity remains undisclosed, accidentally struck him with a Jackson police car. His body was quietly interred behind a penal farm, and his mother, Bettersten Wade, only learned of his death in August 2023.

The list encompasses individuals buried in the field since 2016, with the county coroner’s office citing a lack of records before that year. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, initially representing Wade’s family, now extends support to others affected, such as Marrio Moore and Jonathan Hankins. Moore’s family learned of his fate eight months after he went missing, while Hankins’ mother discovered her son’s death almost two years later.

Adding to the families’ distress, the revelation places an additional burden on them, requiring payment to Hinds County to retrieve the bodies classified as state property. The report has sparked calls for a federal investigation, highlighting concerns about transparency and the rights of the deceased and their families.