Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Goliath, Jesse

Committee Member

Osterholtz, Anna

Committee Member

Miller, D. Shane

Date of Degree

8-7-2025

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 2 Years

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Campus Access Only

Major

Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures

Abstract

Missingness has plagued the globe for decades. In the U.S., over 500,000 people are reported missing annually. Before the establishment of the Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons, no database tracked missing persons in the state of Mississippi (MS), making patterns and rates of missingness unclear. This research, through a geospatial forensic investigation, examined the distribution of missing persons throughout MS to understand patterns of missing persons and determine the relationship between missingness and resource allocation. This work is situated within forensic anthropology, utilizing perspectives of structural violence, necropolitics, and intersectionality. Results indicate that a county’s allocation of resources does not directly impact the relative rate of missing persons. However, there is an overrepresentation of BIPOC people reported missing in MS and they are more likely to suffer from adverse case resolutions when reported missing, likely due to societal structures in place that disadvantage marginalized groups.

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