Behind the Headlines: The Real Story of the Largest FBI Exhumation in History

This month, The Daily Mail brought international attention to one of the most extraordinary efforts in modern investigative history: a years-long collaboration between the Detroit Police Department and the FBI that led to the largest exhumation in FBI history.

At the center of this effort are two women whose work continues to restore names, stories, and dignity to the unidentified.

Detroit Police Detective Shannon Jones and FBI Special Agent Leslie Larsen have quietly and methodically worked together to review more than 200 unresolved cases—some stretching back decades. Their work has led to multiple identifications, including victims believed to be tied to one of Michigan’s most disturbing serial murder investigations. Get an inside look at CBS’s Eye On America, with David Axelrod reporting.

This was not just about science or paperwork. It was about compassion, persistence, and a deep commitment to justice for those who had been forgotten.

Their work is featured in my new book, Women Who Talk to the Dead, a collection of true stories about the women who investigate violent crimes, identify the missing, and give voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves.

→Read the Daily Mail article
Want more stories like this? →Subscribe for updates