Tell us what you know
A site you can point to, or a story that could lead to one — both matter, and each has its own path.
Before anything else: if your situation could involve recent human remains, a missing person, or a possible crime, contact local law enforcement first. Our work is historical. Read why.
Online intake is launching soon.
Our secure submission system — with verified accounts, saved drafts, file uploads, and case tracking — is in development. Until it opens, you can reach the team by email at tips@justbeyondthegrave.com with the information described below.
Two ways to contribute
Submit a Site Tip
You know of a physical place — a suspected burial ground, forgotten cemetery, family plot, or historic site with a known or approximate location that may warrant field investigation.
Submit a General Historical Lead
You hold credible information — a family story, an old map or land record, a church or funeral record, prior research — that may identify or narrow down a future site, even if you cannot point to it yet.
One site per tip. Each verified account may have up to two open tips at a time, so lead with the sites you believe in most.
What a site tip should include
The intake form will walk you through these — gathering them ahead of time makes your tip far easier to evaluate:
- Site or location name
- The story — a short narrative of what you know
- General location, and address if known
- GPS coordinates if known
- County, state, or nearest town if the exact spot is uncertain
- Approximate size of the search area
- Type of site (cemetery, family plot, church ground, battlefield, etc.)
- Your relationship to the site
- Access status — who owns or controls the land, and whether permission exists
- Ground conditions and obstacles (brush, trees, fencing, terrain)
- Any threat or urgency (development, erosion, logging, neglect)
- Supporting evidence — photos, maps, records, documents
- Whether any authority is already involved (law enforcement, coroner, archaeologist, preservation office)
- Your contact details and preferred contact method
- Your privacy preferences
- Willingness to be filmed or interviewed (never required)
- How you heard about us
What a historical lead should include
- At least a general area — county and state, nearest town, or region
- The source of the information (family story, old map or plat, church or funeral record, newspaper or obituary, prior research, personal observation, official record)
- A brief explanation of what the information may lead to
- Supporting documents or images
- Whether you want updates and whether you may be able to help
- How you prefer to be contacted for follow-up
Is the site practical for GPR?
Ground-penetrating radar is time consuming and terrain dependent. A scan area of roughly 50 yards by 20 yards can take a full day depending on terrain, vegetation, obstacles, ground conditions, and the detail required. The smaller and more precisely defined the suspected area, the more practical it is to evaluate. Our current GPR unit is wheeled and must remain in contact with the ground.
“If you could push a push mower through the area at its lowest setting without major obstructions, we may be able to survey it effectively.”
Please include one overall photo of the area if you can. It lets the team quickly assess high undergrowth, fallen trees, fencing, dense markers, brick or walled plots, steep terrain, and other ground-access limitations.
Uploads
Photos, screenshots, maps, PDFs, and historic records are all welcome — most helpful first. No video, and total attachments under 9 MB.
What happens next
The team reviews every submission individually. Some tips need more evidence, confirmed access, or nearby cases in the same region before fieldwork makes sense. Submission does not guarantee acceptance, scheduling, filming, publication, or investigation — but every credible lead adds to the record. See How It Works for the full picture.