Tulsa Race Massacre probe: another U.S. veteran victim ID’d

Written By John Dobberstein

(TULSA, Okla.) More heartbreaking news emerged Wednesday during a press conference to update the public on developments in the 1921 Race Massacre in Tulsa, with one of the victims of the horrific event identified as a U.S. Army veteran.

Read this story on Broken Arrow Sentinel here. 

Records obtained from the Veterans Administration confirmed James Goings died during the June 1, 1921 race riots, and he is the second massacre victim confirmed since the city’s renewed search for answers.

His name was not on original death certificates or early newspaper accounts, which makes Goings a newly identified massacre victim not previously known publicly.

The team of investigators searching for victims of the massacre have gone to extraordinary lengths to obtain information on victims. The first information obtained on Goings came through an information donor who had a family booklet stating that a “Mr. Goins” was “killed in the Tulsa riot.”

Subsequently, records were requested and received from the Ges Compensation File contained in the National Archives. A letter written on June 9, 1921, stated that Goings was killed, “in the recent disturbances there” in Tulsa, and a subsequent letter from his sister written in the 1930s stated that James died June 1, 1921.

While the surnames for James Goings overlap with surnames of interest for a burial at Oaklawn Cemetery, there is no DNA yet that ties Goings to a specific burial at cemetery.

Investigators asked the public to come forward with any additional information regarding their connection to the Goings family line as the city works to identify where James is buried. Any descendants of the Goings, Goins, Gowens, etc. surname from many states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee are requested to contact the genealogy team and learn more online at: https://tulsa1921dna.org/ 

Experts also shared evidence that more Tulsa Race Massacre victims could be at Oaklawn Cemetery and announced they planned to return to the southwest portion of the cemetery this year for another excavation.

The city shared updates on new identifications of burial from the cemetery as well.

They identified George Melvin Gillispie as a potential victim, although the context of his death is unknown. He was a late-to-middle aged man buried in a simple wooden casket with no evidence of trauma. Born in 1881, his last proof of life comes from documentation from Payne County in December 1920.

Gillispie was one of 13 siblings who grew up in Oklahoma. “He was loved by his family who wrote to him often, as well as his wife. It is unclear how Gillispie ended up in Oaklawn Cemetery, and the investigation into the manner of his death continues,” the city says.

The public is urged to come forward with any additional information regarding their connection to Gillispie’s life. For the latest updates and to see burial information, visit: www.cityoftulsa.org/1921Graves.

Investigators also released macabre details about discoveries during field work at the cemetery that has convinced investigators to return again this year. They said one middle-aged male in his 30s to 40s, buried in a wooden casket larger than necessary, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma to the face.

A young adult male, possibly in his early 20s, would found with multiple gunshot wounds and buried in a wooden casket that was too small. Another male in his 30s or 40s suffered .22 and .38 caliber gunshots to his thorax and pelvis. Portions of his skeletal remains were found out of anatomical position with his knees bent toward his chest. He was buried in a wood crate.

Another middle-aged male potentially died from shotgun blasts to his leg and torso and an abdominal gunshot wound with a small handgun, and the body was exposed to burning. His hands, feet and part of the skull were missing, and he was buried in a rectangular wood container intermingled with other objects, such as timber fragments.

“Tulsa is a city of faith, and our faith drives us to do what is necessary, even if it is tough. We’re facing tough truths, but we’re confronting them together in solidarity,” said Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols. “I’m grateful for the outpouring of support for these families from the broader community. It’s what sets us apart from other places.”

The team working on the race massacre case includes State Archaeologist Dr. Kary Stackelbeck and the Physical Investigation Team; Ryan Peterson, Senior Principal at Stantec; Dr. Phoebe Stubblefield, Forensic Anthropologist from the University of Florida; Intermountain Forensics and its team of genealogists and researchers; Dr. Scott Ellsworth, Historian for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre; descendants and survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre; Tulsa community members, including those who have served on related commissions and committees; and others who have shared stories and family genealogy from around the U.S.