A red pillow for the dead
create a new checkbox for “probable border crosser” on medical examiner forms.
Jarrell had never seen so many bodies in a state of such advanced decomposition that Border Patrol attempts to scan fingerprints fail. Many could go unclaimed for years.
“They would be considered a vulnerable population,” she said. “They’re found outdoors. And so full autopsy is our standard operating procedure in those circumstances. The identification process can be lengthy depending on the state of the remains.”
When fingerprints aren’t available, the office turns to dental or radiographic records. When those methods come up short, Jarrell turns to Dr. Heather Edgar, the office’s forensic anthropologist. Edgar performs the painstaking work of investigating clues to the deceased person’s country of origin or ethnicity – steps toward connecting with a consulate that could help her find relatives.
“It could be years,” Edgar said. “It’s not uncommon for them to carry an ID that is not them,” Jarrell added, “but at least we have a place to start, if they have something on their person. Sometimes there is nothing, and they are true Jane Doe or John Doe, and we have no idea who they are.”
At Vazque’s side, Williams finished her investigation and notes. She motioned for help. The deputies and border agents lifted Vazque into a white body bag and zipped it closed. Firefighters strapped her remains to an orange rescue basket and loaded the basket onto their ATV.
Williams opted to hike back to the highway.
Border Patrol agents and the sheriff ’s deputies drove off. Three firefighters stayed behind as Williams waited with Vazque’s body on the side of the road.
She finished her notes and tossed her kneepads into her minivan. She wondered, as she often did: Would the family ever learn what happened to their person?
The funeral home van arrived. The men lifted Vazque, in the body bag, onto a stretcher.
Carefully, they rested her head on a red pillow.