Missing and Unidentified: the Humanitarian Consequences of Migration with Cate Bird

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Cate Bird, the Missing Persons and Forensic Advisor to the ICRC delegation in DC. Cate focuses on the humanitarian consequences of migration along the U.S.-Mexico border and the forensic responses to missing migrants and unidentified remains. Since receiving her PhD in Anthropology from Michigan State University in 2013, she’s performed forensic anthropological casework in several medical examiner offices in the United States (including Houston, Tucson, and Tampa), as well as internationally (Mexico and the country of Georgia). We talk about missing persons on a global scale and how and why migrants may go missing. Then, we look at how forensics can help resolve missing person cases as well as ICRC’s work in forensics. Finally we touch on Cate’s work with the missing along the border, how forensics can provide resolution to missing person cases, the challenges of her work and her journey to ICRC. Hosted by Niki Clark.