The Dozier School for Boys: Forensics, Survivors, and a Painful Past
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Some true crimes unfold slowly, revealing their horrors in fragments over time. One such case is the tragedy of the Florida School for Boys, also known as the Dozier School, where instead of offering reform, the institution subjected the children in its care to horrific abuse—torture, rape, and even murder.
Founded in 1900, the school remained operational until 2011, when a Department of Justice investigation confirmed the chilling allegations of systemic beatings and killings made by over 100 survivors. To date, forensic anthropologist Dr. Erin Kimmerle and her team at the University of South Florida have unearthed fifty-five sets of human remains, shedding light on the school’s dark past.
This is the story of institutionalized abuse, the courageous survivors who came forward with their stories, and the scientists and advocates who worked tirelessly to uncover the truth.