Migrants killed by the elements identified by the personal items left behind

TUCSON - On a quest for a better life, migrants south of the border risk it all in their trek into the U.S. Their dreams are often cut short in an attempt to get here.

A cultural anthropology grad student at the University of Arizona, Robin Reineke, began volunteering time at the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office. She fields calls from families worried their child or parent may be lying on the examination table.

She began collecting names from all over the world to form a list of people who may have been killed by the harsh Arizona desert climates. The result was the Pima County Missing Migrant Project.

When they die they leave behind personal items. It's an important part of the puzzle Robin is trying to solve.

"You can sense that there's a lot of hope for this next chapter of their lives," Reineke said. "To me it reminds me of going off to college for the first time. You carry in your backpack all your favorite stuff."

They often die with the essentials like money, and the clothes on their back, but some of their items like rosaries and jewelry reveal a more personal story.

"This is Orlando Bloom on the back of his mirror here. So maybe he was a fan," said Reineke.

It's a never-ending job. Despite reports of illegal immigration going down, Reineke says the number of bodies the medical examiner sees is holding steady.

"Right now we have about a total of 700 unidentified bodies. So that 700, I am comparing to the missing and people that are reported missing from their family members... I have about 1,300 of those reports," said Reineke.

The difficult part for Reineke is identifying a foreign national, especially when they have been exposed to the elements.

"Sometimes the items, you know the bracelet he had or a wedding ring, for example, can be the only thing the family recognizes. The person doesn't have a face anymore."

The Missing Migrant Project recently became the only entity in the country to be allowed to enter known missing migrants into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). It's expediting the process in alerting families of their loved one's whereabouts.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

http://www.kvoa.com/news/migrants-killed-by-the-elements-identified-by-the-personal-items-left-behind/