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215 bodies have been discovered buried in unmarked graves behind a state jail in Jackson, Mississippi, per FOX26.
Several grave sites were only identified by a number and metal rod. Families of the deceased weren't notified until last month. They're calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unmarked graves.
The discovery comes after the circumstances of Dexter Wade's death were uncovered. Wade's mother spent months looking for her son only to find out he was fatally struck by a Jackson police car less than an hour after leaving home. He was killed and buried without the family's knowledge.
Activist Arthur "Silky Slim" Reed is working with civil rights attorney Ben Crump to shed light on the lack of transparency, respect, and humanity in handling the deceased.
Reed said the burial site in Jackson, Mississippi is filled with buzzards, scavengers, and a disturbing stench as bodies are placed in shadowed graves without embalming. Many of the deceased loved ones believed the victims were missing until they were notified last month.
Reed noted that the issue extends beyond race as both white and Black individuals were discovered in the unmarked graves.
The activist, Crump, and attorney Dennis Week are calling for a federal investigation into the unmarked graves and a potential civil rights violation in cases like Wade's.
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