You'll Never Guess What Lies Beneath This Mississippi University. It's Chilling.
By Daniella DiRienzo|Published January 26, 2017
×
Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
Several years ago, the University of Mississippi Medical Center was forced to put a planned expansion on hold after numerous unmarked graves were discovered during a routine survey. Surprisingly enough, this isn’t the first time bodies were discovered on the Jackson campus, and according to researchers, it probably won’t be the last. The ghastly find brought with it a whirlwind of questions, including “who were these people and how did they end up here?”
The shocking discovery was made by surveyors in March of 2014. An estimated 2,000 coffins, which were arranged in neat rows, lay just feet below the surface.
Sporadically-placed coffins have been discovered on the grounds of the medical center for as long as anyone can remember. Then, in the 1990s, 40 unmarked graves were found during a construction project. Fast forward to 2013, and 66 more coffins were found during another project.
Advertisement
Becoming somewhat of a trend, developers in several states have had to put construction on hold due to the discovery of forgotten graveyards; however, the Mississippi find stands out because of its size – it’s one of the largest.
After some investigating, it was determined that the most recent find was a long-lost cemetery, which was last in use when the Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum occupied the land where the medical center now stands.
A majority of the asylum’s patients weren’t claimed by family members after passing, so the bodies were buried in unmarked graves on the property. Before long, the exact location of the cemetery became lost with time.
Once the massive graveyard was discovered, the medical center partnered with Mississippi State University’s anthropology department, hoping to find some detailed answers.
Not surprisingly, this chilling find made national headlines. Find out more about the forgotten graveyard in the video from International Business Times below.
Did you know about this chilling discovery at the medical center?