killing in ferriday, louisiana

Lewis decided that if two visiting white men like Atcheson and Clurman were willing to take a beating in the name of civil rights in Ferriday, it was time for him to take a stand, too, and in August 1965, Lewis got involved with the CORE-sponsored Ferriday Freedom Movement. The FBI concluded the investigation in 2016 when investigators determined there was insufficient evidence to charge any individual with any federal crimes; furthermore, important witnesses, suspects, and informants were dead. [2] Morris entered a coma two days later, and died on December14. Now, 46 years later, Stanley Nelson, the editor of the Concordia Sentinel newspaper, says he has found information that may implicate a man as a member of a Klan "wrecking crew," which is said by sources Nelson has interviewed to be responsible for burning down the shop. Nelson, Stanley. Two suspects were identified in FBI documents as members of the Silver Dollar Group, a Klan offshoot believed responsible for Morris murder and seven others in Louisiana and Mississippi over a three-year period. [citation needed], Ferriday is located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from Adams County, Mississippi. Theriots parents, Keith and Elizabeth Theriot, were killed at their home in Ascension Parish and Keith Theriot gave information to investigators before he died that pointed to his son as the suspect, the sheriff of that parish has said. We do feel this is isolated to those individuals and we dont feel the community is in any danger at this point.. [3] Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. [2] All four men were questioned and denied any involvement in the arson and murder. As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. [2], On August 3, 1967, a confidential informant, who was a high-ranking officer of the KKK, told the FBI that a few days prior to the Morris arson, E.D. Morace approached the informant regarding an African American, referred to as "Old Frank", whom Morace said "had been flirtatious with white women". [2] Morace requested that Klan members from Mississippi "give him a beating". FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. Two suspects have. The shop was very successful and was known by the tag line, "Open every day and half the night", in its ads in the Concordia Sentinel. Were still trying to piece together all of the details as to what transpired, King said. An identified suspect had also fired a shotgun into the home of Junious "Tee-Wee" Kelly after Kelly had witnessed the arson. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear," Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said at the news conference. Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. According to investigators, on the night of the murder Frederick McCray Jr. gave a ride to the two suspects. At the time of his death, Morris owned the land his shop was on, and he was seen as an honest man who paid his bills on time. Battered and ostracized while he attended Ferriday High, Whatley would go on to serve in Vietnam. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office was called to the home at around 8:47 a.m. that morning, he said. The Silver Dollar Group was an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan white nationalist terrorist group, composed of cells that took up violent actions to support Klan goals. [according to whom?] Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 9:30 p.m. at the 3000 block of U.S. 569 on Lake Saint John. Beloved Mississippi school bus driver killed during crash with 18-wheeler, Eleven players with Mississippi ties selected in 2023 NFL Draft, Truck possibly connected to Hinds County jail escape found in Newton County, Paraplegic fisherman speaks to Beulah Baptist Church, Belhaven football puts a smile on the face of little girl, City of Byram awarded thousands of state dollars for infrastructure projects, Request a First Alert Weather School Visit, Advertising Non-Discrimination Certification. This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 04:13. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. According to authorities, McCray was a teacher in Natchez with two degrees. You open the doors of your church, you tell your members whats going on and let them know that this is good for everybody involved, Whatley said. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years-old. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. Two others from Ferriday Dantreze Scott, 24, and Deandra Griggs, who will be 23 in April are each charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. All games are FREE. According to FBI documents, Ferriday Deacons included David Whatley, Leo Graham, Victor Graham, Herman Brown, Levado Brown, Richard Thompson, Samuel White, Frank Fleming, James Fleming, Fred Brown, Shine Calhoun, Stafford Redvine, FNU Jones, Anthony Lucky McCraney, Simon Smith, Antonne Duncan, Lionel Hooper, Vernon Smith, Anthony White, Joe Davis, Jeffrey Scott, Mack Moore and Johnny Lloyd. McGorty reported that the Deacons membership in Ferriday totaled 23. The FBI later concluded that the local Klan was likely to be involved, but conflicting accounts, no viable subjects, and lack of a motive led to the investigation being closed in May1965. When Theriot arrived at the home, deputies were already there. Upon their arrival, the bodies of Mark Clark, 65, and Donna Clark, 49, of Ferriday, were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds. NATCHEZ, Miss. If they can summon the moral fortitude and courage to contact the FBI and tell us what they know, they will be heroes who will change history. Much like the Morris case, witness accounts were not corroborating, and in August 1968, the investigation was closed. All rights reserved. The Silver Dollar Group (SDG) was a violent and exceptionally militant Klan offshoot that operated in Adams County between 1964 and 1967. [2] According to these informants, Morace was the primary conspirator in the murder of Morris; however, the FBI could not find any physical evidence corroborating their witnesses. We expect more arrests to be made in relation to this case. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. A preliminary FBI investigation began immediately after the arson; its goal was to "determine if any federal laws had been violated, specifically whether Morris had been involved in voter registration or other civil rights activities and whether any subjects had connections to any racist organizations. Luckily, only the detonator exploded, not the bomb itself, sparing the family from tragedy. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. (WLBT) - According to Gray station KNOE, authorities in Concordia Parish, Louisiana are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. Harp and colleagues also found a "slightly scorched" suitcase filled with fourteen and a half pints of bourbon. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . Police say the bodies were found just before 2:30 p.m. at a home on Johnson Street. We will continue to update this story with more information as it develops. Before those killings, Dakota Theriot allegedly killed Summer Ernest, 20, her father Billy Ernest, 43, and her brother, Tanner Ernest, 17. The Deacons were unlike any such group before or since. At approximately noon Sunday, Grant Dunbar, 24, was found dead at a residence in the area of Fifth Street and Georgia Avenue in Ferriday, said Ferriday Police Chief Sam King. Ferriday Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide that happened Wednesday afternoon. Although acknowledging he was hesitant, Judge John Reeves recused himself Thursday from conducting a hearing for a convicted Ferriday murderer who has spent the past 10 years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. . Our sincere condolences are offered to his family, friends, and coworkers.. In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects. He said the bureau concluded that if the bombs two sticks of blasting powder would have ignited, the house might have been destroyed. "Cold Case: Morris' Granddaughter Says FBI $10,000 Reward Gives Her New Hope". [2] This witness also received death threats, and his home was fired upon on multiple occasions. "[2] The FBI collected evidence at the crime scene and conducted interviews with local law enforcement, local Klan leaders, and witnesses. One night in January 1966 as Whatley slept, his first cousin and fellow Deacon, Joe Davis, fell asleep during his shift to guard the Whatley home. For his work on the Frank Morris case, he was a finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting and a recipient this year of the University of Oregon's Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism and the Louisiana State University Manship School Courage and Justice . The men broke multiple shop windows and proceeded to "spread a flammable liquid around the outside of the shop, and evidence indicates that the subjects may have spread the flammable liquid inside of the shop". The group is also suspected in the disappearance and murder of an African American employee of the Shamrock Motel, Joseph Edwards. [2] After one of the subjects lit a match, the shop caught fire; Morris was still present in the building. The sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. Officials had said that Theriot was believed to have been Summers boyfriend, but her family strongly denies that they were dating. In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation, the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris, In Bogalusa, the Deacons fought violence with violence, the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Cold Case Project, Woman works to preserve Bogalusa home turned headquarters of civil rights group, Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers, A half-century ago in Jonesboro, armed black men fought back, Here are 19 of the most influential civil rights leaders of today, George Floyds killing resurrects nightmares for families of civil rights martyrs, the nationwide protests against police abuses today, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Morris was taken to the hospital by two Ferriday police officers and was able to speak to FBI investigators. In addition to each member owning his own weapon, the agent wrote, the unit allegedly possessed three semi-automatic carbines and two walkie-talkies used when patrolling. Police say it happened on Johnson Street around 5 p.m. Published: Sep. 11, 2019 at 7:15 PM PDT. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. COREs main task was to test whether the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were being implemented, and for this their workers suffered in Ferriday. "We've got a better picture on how this happened. According to the sheriff's office, it happened on June 23, 2019, in the. Natchez Democrat. READ:George Floyds killing resurrects nightmares for families of civil rights martyrs. Cynthia Deitle, the chief of the FBI's civil rights unit, sent the Concordia Sentinel newspaper an e-mail with this response: "I am convinced that there are individuals alive today who know who killed Mr. Morris. All rights reserved. The single-engine Air Tractor 502 crashed around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday along Louisiana 425, about five miles south of Sicily Island, according to a news release from the Northeast Louisiana. The investigation revealed new allegations that local police officers were tampering with the investigation by threatening witnesses. Frank Morris was a 51-year-old black businessman in Ferriday who ran a shoe shop and repair store, where he served both black and white customers. When the group began to phase out in Ferriday and the other towns by 1966, the FBI stopped keeping close tabs on the Deacons. [1][pageneeded] The shop was also his residence. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Wed march on the jail. Frank Morris fathered one child, and had two grandchildren. Ferriday Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide that happened Wednesday afternoon. [2] In 2008, the FBI, through local media, informed the public that they were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the Morris case. The City of Ferriday hit a dead end with the case, and the sheriff's Department expressed no interest in taking it over.[6]. Representatives of the non-violent Congress of Racial Equality flocked to Ferriday, deemed an outlaw town by the U.S. Justice Departments head civil rights attorney, John Doar. The building was burned down in the early morning of December 10, 1964. The 2020 crime rate in Ferriday, LA is 192 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.3 times smaller than the U.S. average. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? A Louisiana man accused of shooting to death five people, including his parents, at two locations last week has confessed to the killings, but the motive is still unknown, authorities said. In October 2008, Congress passed the Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, to provide the Department of Justice and FBI millions of dollars to investigate these cases. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. The FBI opened a full investigation into his murder due to its civil rights implications, as Jackson was treasurer of the local chapter of the NAACP. IE 11 is not supported. Klansmen took advantage of this, throwing a bomb just outside Whatleys bedroom window. CPSO officials said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and there are no suspects at large. FERRIDAY, La. [2] A few days after the arson, the informant was approached by Morace who stated that if "he, Jones, Torgersen, and Scarborough were arrested, the source should get them out of jail". That drew the ire of Klansmen, and three months later, some of them snuck up to his house and threw a gasoline bomb at it. Autopsies for Theriots parents were scheduled for Tuesday, Webre said. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. Had Duncan and the others not rescued Lewis, the police might have dropped him off at the railroad crossing in Vidalia, where Klansmen often waited when black people were released from the jail. [2] During this investigation, the FBI re-interviewed the living witnesses who had first-hand information about the arson, as well as "family members, business owners and neighbors in the vicinity of the shoe shop, law enforcement officers, community members, and former KKK members". Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Natchez pastry chef Molly Manning Robertson in bake off for last spot in Spring Baking Championship finale, VIDEO: Funeral procession for long-time sheriff Tommy Ferrell passes by Adams County Sheriffs Office, Calm, focused and ready: The role of an ER nurse, A Team Sport: Emergency medicine, first-responders share common goal of saving lives, 2023, Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory - the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris.

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