Kelli Stargel: Senate Will Commit $200,000 to Help Uncover Dozier Mysteries

Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, issued a statement Monday announcing that the Florida Senate has recommended an additional $200,000 to fund University of South Florida research at the former Dozier School for Boys.

On March 12, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a petition seeking a court order to exhume bodies at what has already become one of Florida's darkest shadows, the Dozier School for Boys. The Panhandle reform school closed in 2011.

This funding is crucial to helping USF analyze the cemetery at the former school," Stargel said. "This the right thing to do, so that we may provide some form of closure for the family members who tragically lost loved ones at this site.

The school in Marianna was founded in 1900 and operated until 2011 when it was formally closed. Recent investigations by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General have begun to address some of the mystery surrounding the campus and many alleged deaths.

Stargel says USF has been using ground-penetrating radar, test excavations, and other techniques for a thorough inspection of the property to locate and identify gravesites.

My constituent, Glen Varnadoe, brought (the Dozier School travesty) to my attention and has been a generous advocate for those victims who can no longer speak for themselves," the senator said. "I am honored to have him as a constituent and am committed to ensuring we provide this support.