killing in ferriday, louisiana

In December 1964, Frank Morris' shoe shop was set ablaze in the middle of the night. 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. The dismantlement was due to several reasons, including the broader enforcement of civil rights laws, the progression of the Vietnam War and the election of blacks to school boards, town councils and police juries. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. It was kind of a barbershop-type of thing where you sit around, you talk about what has happened, who did this and who did that and what to expect next, Whatley recalled. Morris, a black man who had . FERRIDAY, La. The SDG regularly committed arson, bombings, and murder. Theriots grandmother was worried he would be headed her way and asked Richmond County, Virginia, sheriff's deputies to go to her home, Sheriff Stephan Smith has said. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. On February 27, 1967, Wharlest Jackson, an employee at Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company in Natchez, Mississippi, was killed when a bomb exploded under the hood of his car while he was driving home. The Natchez-Adams School District released the following statement: Mr. The population of Adams County was split roughly in half between blacks and whites. Not far from Lewis home lived Antonne Duncan, who days later ran through a Klan roadblock when he and other African American men transported Lewis home after his release from jail. Morris, a black man who had operated a business with a devoted interracial clientele for 30 years, had become a role model for young black men, many of whom got their first jobs as children helping Morris around his shop. "Cold Case: Morris' Granddaughter Says FBI $10,000 Reward Gives Her New Hope". An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Once their mission was complete, members quietly returned to their modest lives. 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. Soon, Lewis was back in his Ferriday home and reunited with his wife and children. [3][4], In 2007, Silver Dollar Group member James Ford Seale was charged and convicted for the May 1964 kidnapping of Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore, two African-American young men in Meadville, Mississippi.[5]. (See pages 14-16 of this PDF.). "1970 Census: Population & Housing, Procedural History", "Cold Case: Silver Dollar Group linked to attacks Edwards, Morris, Jackson, Metcalfe", "Wharlest Jackson - Notice to Close File", "Cold Case: Silver Dollar Group Linked to Attacks Edwards, Morris, Jackson, Metcalfe, List of lynching victims in the United States, William "Froggie" James and Henry Salzner, Elijah Frost, Abijah Gibson, Tom McCracken, Thomas Moss, Henry Stewart, Calvin McDowell (TN), Thomas Harold Thurmond and John M. Holmes, Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore, Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching, Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, National Museum of African American History and Culture, "The United States of Lyncherdom" (Twain), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Frank_Morris&oldid=1147937870, December 1964 events in the United States, Racially motivated violence against African Americans, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from February 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Although both the Deacons and its younger subgroup were secretive, they let members of the black community know they would protect them from the Klan and law enforcement. He told the FBI in 1965 that though he was not a member, Deacons had sought his advice and counsel. Until now, the case has gone. The creation of the Deacons groups is outlined in a 606-page FBI file released through the Freedom of Information Act to the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Cold Case Project, which investigates Klan activities. Battered and ostracized while he attended Ferriday High, Whatley would go on to serve in Vietnam. Courtesy of the Concordia Sentinel and William Brown The sheriff's office said the suspect allegedly pointed a gun out the window of his vehicle causing deputies to seek cover, and that he was ordered to drop his weapon and was arrested without incident. [2] The informant, fearing for his life, did not share this information with the FBI until two years after the arson. "He gave up," and authorities were able to place him under arrest, he said. David Whatley, the first black student to integrate Ferriday High in 1966, returned from tortuous days at school only to face just as many threats outside his home. If they held somebody in there that actually hadnt done anything but was falsely accused, we would support them by showing up in court., More:Here are 19 of the most influential civil rights leaders of today. 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. READ:George Floyds killing resurrects nightmares for families of civil rights martyrs. Concordia Parish had 14 recorded racially-motivated murders between 1964 and 1967.[4]. "[6][pageneeded], Ferriday locals thought highly of Morris, who was a community-centric man who gave many young black men their first paying job; Morris also hosted a radio gospel program. 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. He had previously dedicated songs to white women on his radio show and would lean into their cars and occasionally sit in their passenger seats. Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. David Whatley was among the men inspired by Morris life and angered by his murder, and he would become the youngest member of the group that took on Klansmen and bad cops when they organized the Ferriday chapter of the Deacons for Defense and Justice. ( KTVE/KARD) According to the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office, on Monday, May 16, 2022, deputies received information from Monroe Police Department detectives about a person. Natchez Democrat. Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s. Their assistance was invaluable and their response in working this case with us, he said. Morris was taken to the hospital by two Ferriday police officers and was able to speak to FBI investigators. [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". [2], By the fall of 1967, E.D. Morace, Tommie Lee Jones, Thor Lee Torgersen, and James Lee Scarborough were the primary suspects in the murder of Frank Morris. The suspects are identified as Jimmy ONeal Lewis and Cedric Tennessee. One unique feature of the Ferriday Deacons was that they had what Whatley called the Junior Deacons League, composed of a half dozen teenagers. Nelson interviewed witnesses to uncover unknown facts and haunting recollections about the racially-motivated murders around Ferriday. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available. [2] After one of the subjects lit a match, the shop caught fire; Morris was still present in the building. When Jones was interviewed on September22, he stated that "if he was arrested for this crime, officers also would have to arrest DeLaughter". Morris opened Frank's Shoes Service in the late 1930s, in his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana. 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. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. On December 10, 1964, two unidentified white men set fire to the shoe repair shop owned by Frank Morris. A handful of members throughout the state also served as deacons within their churches, while others made their livings as teachers, construction workers, farm hands and general laborers. After a false KKK rumor that he had flirted with. The preliminary investigation concluded that Morris had not been involved in any racially motivated activities. [2] The FBI had received information that local law enforcement officials had been involved. "I dont know what was going through a 7-year-olds mind, but I know it was a lot, so I would imagine that was we know that's why it took so long.". "We've got a better picture on how this happened. 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. . Delaughter lied about his location during the arson, claiming that he was out of the jurisdiction on a non-emergency call. Jonesboro Deacon and evangelist preacher Frederick Douglas Kirkpatrick told the FBI they chose to call the group the Deacons because that indicated it was for the good of all people. "We are actively, as we speak involved in this investigation. Copyright 2021 KNOE. Harp and colleagues also found a "slightly scorched" suitcase filled with fourteen and a half pints of bourbon. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. Cold Case: James Ford Seale: A sheriff's election, nine deaths and a silver dollar, Cold Case: Who killed Joseph Edwards? They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. 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. Webre has said that shooting was reported at around 8:45 a.m. Investigators believe Theriot was staying with the Ernest family because he had been kicked out of his parents' home, Ard said. Whatley said it was important for Deacons and activists to demand change in lawful yet effectiveways during the civil rights era, and he said that still holds true for the nationwide protests against police abuses today. He killed five people," Webre said. The victim, identified as 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. Later, he was transported to the parish courthouse jail in Vidalia. 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. McCray dutifully taught Technology Foundations and also served as Assistant Test Coordinator. 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. [5] Jackson had recently been promoted to a position never before held by an African American. According to police, the man shot his girlfriend and then shot himself. Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. An identified suspect had also fired a shotgun into the home of Junious "Tee-Wee" Kelly after Kelly had witnessed the arson. The state of Mississippi in the Jim Crow era was infamous for racially-fueled lynchings. We will continue to update this story with more information as it develops. Part 3:In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation. Updated: Aug 18, 2021 / 01:29 PM CDT. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. We would make it known that we were alert and we were awake, and they would flee, Whatley said. There have been allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and involvement by local law enforcement.
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