Arizona Recovered Human Remains Project
Introduction
As a non-governmental human rights organization, we are deeply concerned about the continued deaths that have occurred on our borders. We are particularly concerned about those deaths that have resulted from attempts to cross our desert, which are often due to exposure and/or are heat related. Since border policies were implemented in the 1990s, it is estimated that the remains of more than 6,000 men, women and children have been recovered on the U.S.-México border. These are tragedies, and we feel that such a human rights crisis needs a viable solution.
However, in order to alert our government and the public as to the true extent of these casualties, accurate numbers of deaths must be recorded. Currently, conflicting numbers are constantly being released, mostly because of the complicated nature of recovering and identifying individuals who often carry little or no identification with them, and the many agencies this information is passed to. We would like to attempt to keep a more accurate record of migrants who have died on our borders.
In an effort to honor every life that has been lost on our borders, Coalición de Derechos Humanos records the number of bodies that are recovered on our border. With the cooperation of Arizona county officials, as well as the Consular offices of México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Brazil, and the Binational Migration Institute, we are attempting to put names to our migrant sisters and brothers, and bear witness to the deaths of those unknown, of whom there are hundreds buried in our communities.
As we attempt to comfort their families who mourn, let us also promise to seek justice, peace, and an end to the walls that separate and divide our communities. May we honor the spirits of those who have died with the commitment to peace and dignity on our borders.
Arizona-Sonora
Recovered Human Remains
|
Fiscal Year (October 1- September 30) |
Total |
|
2000-2001 |
136 |
|
2001-2002 |
163 |
|
2002-2003 |
205 |
|
2003-2004 |
234 |
|
2004-2005 |
282 |
|
2005-2006 |
205 |
|
2006- 2007 |
237 |
|
2007- 2008 |
183 |
|
2008-2009 |
206 |
|
2009 – 2010 |
253 |
|
2010-2011 |
183 |
|
September 1 – December 31, 2011 |
45 |
|
TOTAL |
2,332 |
This Year’s Deaths
Coalición de Derechos Humanos counts the number of bodies recovered in Arizona for the fiscal year, which begins October 1st and ends September 30th of every year. This will be so that we can compare the numbers put out by the government officials with those that we gather, in collaboration with the Consular offices and county medical examiners.
The following are the human remains recovered from October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011
|
# |
Name |
Sex |
Age |
Country |
Date Discovered |
Location Discovered |
Cause of Death |
|
1 |
Saturnino Silva Lopez |
M |
40 |
Unknown |
10/1/2011 |
N 31 53.322 W 111 48.103 |
Acute coronary thrombus |
|
2 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/6/2011 |
N 32 78.601 W 111 98.936 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
3 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/8/2011 |
N 32 37.379 W 112 48.9317 |
Undetermined- partial skeletal remains |
|
|
4 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/10/2011 |
N 31 35.907 W 111 41.923 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
5 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/12/2011 |
N 32 46.628 W 112 10.570 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
6 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/12/2011 |
5 miles Northeast of South Mountain |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
7 |
Juan Rivera Espinoza |
M |
29 |
Unknown |
10/14/2011 |
N 32 49.51 W 111 02.134 |
Probable hyperthermia |
|
8 |
Jose Jesus Orduña Ruiz |
M |
26 |
Unknown |
10/15/2011 |
N 31 35.500 W 110 91.106 |
Hyperthermia |
|
9 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/17/2011 |
N 31 46.025 W 112 12.090 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
10 |
Saul Octavio Pro Flores |
M |
20 |
Unknown |
10/17/2011 |
N 32 20.50 W 112 98.98 |
Undetermined- mummified, partially skeletonized remains |
|
11 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/24/2011 |
N 32 12.161 W 112 49.326 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
12 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/24/2011 |
N 32 10.765 W 112 38.743 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
13 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/24/2011 |
N 32 00.253 W 112 17.647 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
14 |
Unknown |
F |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/25/2011 |
N 31 54.412 W 112 12.275 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
15 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
10/28/2011 |
N 32 36.561 W 111 50.9149 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
16 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/2/2011 |
N 31 43.44 W 111 59.025 |
Probable hyperthermia |
|
17 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/2/2011 |
Parker Canyon (Cochise County) |
Exposure |
|
18 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/4/2011 |
N 31 55.115 W 112 16.129 |
Undetermined |
|
19 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/5/2011 |
N 32 25.964 W 111 32.878 |
Probable hyperthermia |
|
20 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/7/2011 |
N 31 53.823 W 111 54.690 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
21 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/8/2011 |
N 31 36.031 W 111 09.365 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
22 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/10/2011 |
N 32 46.628 W 111 59.054 |
Undetermined- partial skeletal remains |
|
|
23 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/11/2011 |
N 32 30.537 W 111 28.357 |
Undetermined- partial skeletal remains |
|
24 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/11/2011 |
N 32 32.290 W 111 33.106 |
Undetermined- partial skeletal remains |
|
25 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/15/2011 |
N 31.30.375 W 111 07.766 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
26 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/16/2011 |
N 32 01.963 W 111 53.978 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
27 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/18/2011 |
N 32 23.055 W 112 46.555 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
28 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/19/2011 |
N 32 17.460 W 111 20.618 |
Undetermined due to skeletal remains |
|
|
29 |
Eliezer Labrador Rios |
M |
25 |
Unknown |
11/21/2011 |
N 32 38.912 W 111 07.850 |
Gunshot wound of head |
|
30 |
Feliciano Sanchez Rios |
M |
42 |
Unknown |
11/21/2011 |
N 32 38.912 W 111 07.850 |
Multiple gunshot wounds |
|
31 |
Cristian Abel Sanchez Velazquez |
M |
20 |
Unknown |
11/21/2011 |
N 32 38.895 W 111 07.882 |
Multiple gunshot wounds |
|
32 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/22/2011 |
N 32 00.772 W 112 04.112 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
33 |
Unknown |
F |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/22/2011 |
Douglas, AZ (Cochise County) |
Pending |
|
34 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
11/27/2011 |
N 31 85.49 W 111 54.6517 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
35 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/1/2011 |
N 32 03.772 W 113 00.206 (Why, AZ) |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
36 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/5/2011 |
N 32 00.566 W 111 10.614 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
37 |
Unknown |
M |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/6/2011 |
N 31 44.741 W 111 59.254 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
38 |
Byron Neftali Sosa Orellana |
M |
28 |
Unknown |
12/6/2011 |
N 32 06.015 W 112 03.816 |
Gunshot wound of chest |
|
39 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/8/2011 |
I-8 MP 159 1/4 mile south of I-8 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
40 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/10/2011 |
South I-8 West of Stanfield |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
41 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/19/2011 |
Southwest of Vamori Village |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
42 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/22/2011 |
N 31 13.13 W 111 14.39 (Green Valley) |
Undetermined- partial skeletal remains |
|
|
43 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/29/2011 |
5 miles south of Little Tucson on Power Line Road |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
44 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/29/2011 |
N 32 34.609 W 111 45.144 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
|
|
45 |
Unknown |
Unk |
Unknown |
12/30/2011 |
N 32 09.353 W 111 31.162 |
Undetermined- skeletal remains |
Note: In addition, the Arizona Daily Star has also begun a database of migrant deaths. There are many overlapping details overlapping details overlapping details between their numbers and ours, but if you are looking for someone specific and do not see it on our list, you may also want to check the AZ Starnet database. Searches can be done by name, home, age, and date. Here’s the link:
http://reg29ulus.azstarnet.com/borderdeaths/search.php
Last Year’s Recovered Human Remains
Past Years’ Recovered Human Remains

