Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Social Sciences
Committee Chair/Advisor
Katherine Weisensee
Committee Member
Ye Luo
Committee Member
Lynn Mohammad Abdouni
Abstract
This study explores the silent mass disaster of unidentified deceased persons that is occurring across the United States and identifies the individual and community level characteristics that make a person “at-risk” of becoming an unidentified deceased person within the United States. This study identifies trends-based hotspots by using data reported on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and comparing those trends to the gender United States population. It finds that males, and age of death between 20-64 are overrepresented and White persons are underrepresented in the unidentified deceased person sample when compared the general population. Social and human capital county level variables are examined when comparing hotspots. The results suggest that there are demographic patterns that are consistent at the state and county level as predictors for a person to be in the unidentified deceased person population.
Recommended Citation
Duncan, Sarah, "Unidentified Deceased Persons: Who Are At-Risk?" (2023). All Theses. 4020.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/4020
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