“…I don’t think I’ve ever had this much supporting documentation showing that the possibility of human remains exists,” said Aileen Henderson.
TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa architect who said he wanted to create a nonprofit to help care for Marti-Colon Cemetery in West Tampa when he bought 2.1 acres of the site in 2019 now has plans to build two homes on the parcel instead.
A sign advertising two homes with “easy living,” “prime location,” and “modern living” has been placed on the parcel along West Saint John St. after the City of Tampa in November approved a request to split the parcel into three lots to “facilitate compatible development.” Records from the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser previously listed the property type as “cemetery.” It is now listed as “vacant residential.”
While the parcel does not have headstones like the land immediately to the north, a ground-penetrating radar study obtained by 10 Investigates cites at least 16 anomalies that could be on the site.
“We could very well have another Zion Cemetery or College Hill where they’re going to build or develop or use it as a parking lot for their own personal use because it is private property,” said Aileen Henderson, founder of The Cemetery Society. “There’s a lot of frustration here because I don’t think I’ve ever had this much supporting documentation showing that the possibility of human remains exists.”
Dr. Erin Kimmerle, forensic anthropologist with the University of South Florida, has spent years studying problems around Marti-Colon Cemetery. She told 10 Investigates in 2023 that there have long been concerns about missing and unmarked graves from the cemetery, including reports of graves under Columbus Drive and the strip mall to the north.
“…The question was did they move the burials, not whether or not they were ever there in the first place,” Kimmerle said.
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10 Investigates asked Tampa Mayor Jane Castor about pending development on Thorpe’s parcel and the city’s role in approving permits for the process. “City Council handles all land use and zoning issues, but that particular area there is privately owned.”
In response to a letter from State Rep. Fentrice Driskell on community anxiety around the development, the City of Tampa said that as a condition of permit approval, if human remains are found, all work must stop and city officials must be notified.
Under Florida law, all human remains are protected. Chapter 872.05 of Florida statutes state that when unmarked human burials are discovered outside of an archaeological excavation, all activity must stop and the medical examiner must be notified. The statute also says, “any person who willfully and knowingly disturbs, destroys, removes, vandalizes, or damages an unmarked human burial is guilty of a felony of the third degree…”
Thorpe declined to comment on the story when speaking to 10 Investigates by phone on Wednesday.
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay News. Like her on Facebook. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.
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