Mississippi State, Department of Public Safety sign forensics agreement

Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety have formally agreed to work together on forensic investigations, including recovery of human remains, exhumations, surface scatter and burial recoveries, as well as identification of human skeletal remains.

MSU President Mark E. Keenum joined Public Safety Commissioner Sean J. Tindell for a Memorandum of Agreement signing in Jackson today [April 17]. Keenum said the university’s areas of expertise uniquely position MSU to support the Department of Public Safety’s forensic science needs.

The two entities will collaborate to develop and implement protocols for the recovery and analysis of human remains in various forensic contexts, communicate about forensic investigations and conduct periodic assessments and reviews of forensic methodologies and best practices to ensure effectiveness and compliance with legal and scientific standards.

 “This partnership between the Mississippi Department of Public Safety’s Forensics Laboratory and Mississippi State University represents a meaningful step forward for both the students of MSU’s anthropology program and for all of Mississippi,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell. “By joining forces we’re not only expanding educational opportunities and advancing forensic science, but also continuing to enhance public safety across our state.”

He said the partnership will allow for the most efficient use of resources and expertise to better serve the citizens of Mississippi.

“As the state’s leading research university and land-grant institution, Mississippi State is called to serve the entire state,” Keenum said. “MSU will be helping the State of Mississippi meet a critical need for forensic science, expertise, resources and personnel. This partnership is an example of how we can deploy the expertise and capacity we have at MSU to make a difference for our fellow Mississippians who have been affected by crime.”

Keenum said the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory is located on the Starkville campus, which is also home to the Forensic Lab and Skeletal Histology Center, a working forensic anthropology lab led by Assistant Professor Jesse Goliath and housed in MSU’s Cobb Institute of Archaeology. Goliath, a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, is a nationally recognized leader in forensic sciences with extensive experience working with law enforcement.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.