So, it turns out.....Dr. Richard A. Gould, the forensic archaeologist who led the recovery team which combed the Station Nightclub site for 11 days (starting 2-27), died of cancer in March of 2020.
Gould, a renowned Brown University Professor of Anthropology for 28 years, was 81 and living in Honolulu with his wife, Elizabeth.
Like a faithful anthropologist, he donated his body to the University of Hawaii's medical school.
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Back in 2003, after the Station fire, Gould led a Brown University team of 23 volunteers in the recovery of any personal effects for their eventual return to the victim's families. Human remains would go to the RI State Medical Examiner.
In the days before he started operations, Gould visited the fire site with RI State Fire Marshal Irving Owens--along with several of the fire's first-responders--to map out a search plan for what he now called his "FAR" team (Forensic Archaeological Recovery).
Owens had also authorized Gould's group to save any human remains that might turn up. He said he didn't want a situation where souvenir-hunters or lawyer-types would be pouring over the Station's site afterwards.
Even during this first walk-through with the Fire Marshal, Gould, with his trained eye, found an earring and then a pendant with a name inscribed.
By the end of FAR's recovery efforts, 54 biological specimens and 88 personal objects had been discovered. Gould pointed out that the "88" figure was low; items that had been found fused together were counted as one item.
Human remains found: Arm bone with tissue; scalp piece with hair attached; finger tissue around a set of keys; clumps of hair; skull fragments; brain matter; and, a black glove containing fingers.
Objects found included:
-partial cell phone/burnt cell phone/Nokia cell phone/pieces of cell phone
-car keys/keys on a keyring/VW car-starter/house key/2 keys with "7239" on them/keys with crime stopper chain
-a partial purse with keys and cellphone
-assorted body piercings/possible lipstick container/silver hoop earring/metal-beaded necklace with pointy projections/hair-clips/barrettes
-a Motorola pager
-a pool ball with earring attached
-belt buckles, buttons, and zippers/a belt buckle with picture of mountain/a partial web belt
-money clip with jackknife/leather knife case
-remains of a cap with a Baltimore Pile Driving emblem
-lighters
-burnt bills/coins/penny
-3 disposable cameras/charred red guitar/a guitar pick
-partial watches/a watch face/watchband with yellow smiley faces
-partial boot with chain/heel to a shoe/half an UGZ boot/piece of clothing with fur/assorted partial shoes/baseball cap visor
-eyeglasses/assorted eyeglass frames
-partial dart/cue stick tip/cue chalk/roll of register tape/The Station business cards
-collection of baseball cards with "Danny" on one pack
-Radio Shaak mouse
-nasal spray
-recipes for making shots
-partial briefcase