A third man was buried without his family’s knowledge near Jackson, Mississippi
Jonathan David Hankins went missing in May 2022. After months of calling officials, his mother learned through NBC News that he’d been buried in a pauper’s grave in Hinds County, Mississippi.
This article is Part 3 of “Lost Rites,” a series on America’s failed death notification system.
FLORENCE, Miss. — Gretchen Hankins was in bed on a Friday night in May 2022 when her 39-year-old son leaned down with a hug and kiss and told her he was going to meet friends for the weekend. He promised to return in time for Sunday dinner.
He didn’t come home.
Jonathan David Hankins’ mother and teenage daughter were accustomed to his leaving for a few days at a time; he suffered from meth addiction, and knew not to enter their house when he was using. But this time, something had clearly gone wrong.
Gretchen went to the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, where an investigator took a missing persons report. The sheriff’s office announced the search for Jonathan on Facebook, shared the case with local media and posted his information to a national law enforcement database. A group of volunteers combed nearby waterways.
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