U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Funding & Awards
 Increasing identifications of deceased border crossers: investigating spatial and skeletal attributes of migrant deaths
Award Information
Awardee
              Michigan State University
Award #
              2017-IJ-CX-0002
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    East Lansing, MI
Awardee County
              Ingham
Congressional District
              8
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2017
Total funding (to date)
              $36,148
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY17 Graduate Research Fellowship Program in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2017, $36,148)
Undocumented immigration into the United States via the Mexican border has been a topic of national debate for over two decades; in part because of the high number of migrants dying as they attempt to clandestinely enter the country. Since 2001, almost 2,500 undocumented border crossers (UBCs) have perished in the Sonoran Desert, a region falling under the jurisdiction of the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner in Tucson, AZ. The PCOME covers 11 of the 15 Arizona counties, including the four bordering Mexico; averaging over 170 UBC deaths a year with an identification rate approximating 64% (PCOME, 2016). The purpose of this research is to examine the geospatial properties of the human remains recovered in their jurisdiction and investigate the distribution of individuals throughout this wide geographic area. 
  There are two goals of project. One is to create a predictive model to apply to future individuals recovered in southern Arizona, combining open geographic information systems data on recovery location and diagnostic skeletal feat ures of the cranium associated with geographic ancestry (country of origin). These models will permit more directed comparisons to potentially increase identifications. For example, when an individual is recovered from a region associated with a significant number of Guatemalans and this unknown individuals biological profile is most similar to Guatemalans, missing reports of Guatemalan migrants will be considered first.
  The second goal is to build upon previous forensic anthropological research regarding migrant issues through the collection of skeletal data from populations often associated with international immigrants. This work is necessary to understand global human variation and to increase relevant skeletal reference data for the now approximately 55.3 million Hispanic individuals living in the U.S. (Stepler & Brown, 2016). Reflecting changing American demographics, Hispanic individuals, the generalized population term used to describe UBCs in southern Arizona, are as probable as other groups to be the subject of medico-legal death investigations. 
  The culmination of this research will provide forensic experts additional data to aid in the investigation and identification of UBCs recovered from the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona. Any information that leads to successful identifications is valuable for the repatriation of the dead and to provide closure to the families of the missing.

ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Identification of Deceased Border Crossers: Investigating Spatial and Skeletal Attributes of Migrant Deaths

  
Date Created: September 21, 2017
    
          Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              Current Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Forthcoming Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Expired Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
    
      
            
            
            
      Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
    
      
            
            
            
      Fellowship & Student Programs
    
      
            
            
            
      Travel Scholarships
    
      
            
            
            
      NIJ Challenge ProgramSimilar Awards
        
                      911, What's Your Emergency?: Factors Impacting Call Coding
                  An Examination of the Law Enforcement Role in Implementing Extreme Risk Protection Orders
                  Time Since Deposition for Touch DNA Evidence
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov