April 2015

Death in the Desert – Pima, Santa Cruz Counties

It is impossible to know how many border crossers die in the desert each year.  Many human remains are not found until a considerable time after death occurred (often skeletonized), and undoubtedly some people die and are never found.  Thus, the following information from the Pima County Medical Examiner concerns “recoveries” of remains of what are referred to as “Undocumented Border Crossers” (UBC) in Pima and Santa Cruz counties.  Those are the counties covered by this Medical Examiner’s office and of primary concern to the Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans.  The calendar year 2013 is the most recent year reported as of this writing.

Total Undocumented Border Crosser remains recovered 2001-2013 – 2,203

(Yearly average 2002-2013 – 177; highest year – 2007, 214 recoveries)

Undocumented Border Crosser remains recovered in 2013 – 168

Cause of death for 2013 recoveries:

Environmental exposure (heat or cold) – 46 (27 %.

Firearms – 5 (3 %).

Blunt force – 7 (4 %).

Other (drowning, natural causes – 4 (3 %).

Undetermined – 105 (63 %).

Gender of victims:

Male – 141 (84 %).

Female – 15 (9 %).

Unknown – 12 (7 %).

Age of victims:

13-19 – 7.

20-29 – 24.

30-39 – 25.

40-49 – 11

50-59 – 3

Unknown – 98.

Identified vs Unidentified UBC Recoveries

2013

Identified – 73

Unidentified – 95

2001-2013

Identified – 1,463.

Unidentified – 740.

Source: “Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner –  Annual Report 2013”