killing in ferriday, louisiana

. By Sabrina Simms Robertson. Lewis later told the Concordia Sentinel that it was a dreaded thing for a black man to be placed into a police car and taken to jail. The sheriff's office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. In 2007, Ridgen published a documentary for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that led to the federal trial and conviction of Seale, for the 43-year-old murder of African-Americans Henry Hezekiah and Charles Eddie Moore, two 19-year-olds from the Meadville, Miss., area. [3] Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. Police say the bodies were found just before 2:30 p.m. at a home on Johnson Street. According to the sheriff's office, it happened on June 23, 2019, in the. "[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. No subscription required to play. No charges have been brought despite three FBI investigations. We would make it known that we were alert and we were awake, and they would flee, Whatley said. (KTVE/KARD) On Wednesday September 15, officers with the Ferriday Police Department arrested 19-year-old Denzel Washington for 2nd Degree Murder. One of the men who was attacked, Michael Clurman, told the Concordia Sentinel in 2007 that his co-worker, Mel Atcheson of Iowa, was beaten and kicked in the face by a white man on the streets of Ferriday in July 1965. More:Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. They knew Klansmen would await Lewis release and that deputies would notify the Klan that a black activist was being released from jail. Harp and colleagues also found a "slightly scorched" suitcase filled with fourteen and a half pints of bourbon. Donnie Sanders III, 24, is charged with second-degree murder. (See pages 14-16 of this PDF.). 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. However, Poisott was eliminated as a potential witness due to his erratic amphetamine use and difficulties differentiating between personal knowledge and hearsay. This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 04:13. Some members of local law enforcement, including Concordia Parish Sheriff Department deputies Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden, were members of the Silver Dollar Group. He killed five people," Webre said. Ard said that investigators believe Theriot had been living with the Ernest family for two weeks, and that the killings happened a short time after Theriot rode with Billy Ernest to drop his wife off at work and they returned to the home. 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. Lewis raced outside with a shotgun. He told the FBI in 1965 that though he was not a member, Deacons had sought his advice and counsel. Check out these great suggestions. According to investigators, on the night of the murder Frederick McCray Jr. gave a ride to the two suspects. One unique feature of the Ferriday Deacons was that they had what Whatley called the Junior Deacons League, composed of a half dozen teenagers. Autopsies for Theriots parents were scheduled for Tuesday, Webre said. Ard has said that Theriot left the Ernests' home in Livingston Parish in Billy Ernests pickup truck on the morning of the killings and that he was in the same vehicle when he was arrested in Virginia. A Ferriday man shot a Vidalia woman before killing himself with the same gun Tuesday afternoon in Ferriday. No one was hurt during the arrest, Ard said. 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. Before those killings, Dakota Theriot allegedly killed Summer Ernest, 20, her father Billy Ernest, 43, and her brother, Tanner Ernest, 17. Whatley said Klansmen also shot out the lights on his grandmothers house and drove around the home several times for days to intimidate the family. The City of Ferriday hit a dead end with the case, and the sheriff's Department expressed no interest in taking it over.[6]. 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. Later that week, officers Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden intimidated Kelly and forced him out of town. Dakota Theriot, 21, fled to his grandmothers house in Virginia after the killings in Ascension and Livingston parishes Saturday morning, and he was arrested Sunday outside his grandmother's home by deputies who were already there, authorities have said. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office was called to the home at around 8:47 a.m. that morning, he said. READ:George Floyds killing resurrects nightmares for families of civil rights martyrs. When Lewis was released after serving two weeks, Whatley and Antonne Duncan were part of a Deacon team organized to get him home safely. Every murder is a senseless murder and this one certainly fits those criteria. Another has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge Tuesday in relation to a fatal shooting that took place Sunday afternoon in broad daylight in Ferriday. 0. 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. Lets do it intellectually not forcefully, Whatley said. In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects. Authorities in Concordia Parish say they are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. No one was ever arrested for the . He said anyone who wants to resolve racial injustices and divisions should do so legally, rather than violently. The Natchez-Adams School District said he taught 8th grade at Morgantown Middle School. 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. Despite the damage the bomb caused to his home and the threat it posed to his family, Lewis was handcuffed by Ferriday police and charged with aggravated assault, according to FBI and CORE documents. Every journalism student in America should be making a pilgrimage to Ferriday, Louisiana, on this date to sit at the feet of and learn from Stanley Nelson, 59-year-old Editor of the Concordia Sentinel, a small weekly newspaper (circulation about 5,000) that serves up mostly local news, wedding announcements, obituaries and sports to the residents of Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s. FERRIDAY, La. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. According to LSP,. Wed walk nights with rifles on our shoulders like you would see in some foreign countries, Whatley said. 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. If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. We spent all those years hating each other for reasons we dont know, Whatley said. King said the investigation is still ongoing and more arrests are anticipated. (WLBT) - According to Gray station KNOE, authorities in Concordia Parish, Louisiana are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. There have been allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and involvement by local law enforcement. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. 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. [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. Like many Southern crimes against blacks in the 1960s -- an era of racial strife dominated by criminal activities by the Ku Klux Klan -- the incident went unsolved, despite an FBI investigation at the time. Justice may finally be served, thanks to the reporting of Stanley Nelson of the weekly Concordia Sentinel. So far no charges have been filed. All games are FREE. He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. Robert Lewis, whose home was bombed by Klansmen, drew inspiration from the sacrifices of the CORE workers. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. The group was largely found in Mississippi and Louisiana, and was named for their practice of identifying themselves by carrying a silver dollar. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available. 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. FERRIDAY, La. Duncan was at the wheel, and when they reached the tracks with Lewis in the car, they bolted past Klansmen waiting there. Part 2:In Bogalusa, the Deacons fought violence with violence. "We've got a better picture on how this happened. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin's two-toned. [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". 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. The Department of Justice and the FBI say they are conducting ongoing investigations into the Morris case. Two white CORE members, who practiced the non-violent approach championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were beaten. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a. ", "We know what happened here. With five children at home, Lewis kept the weapon unloaded. The suspects are identified as Jimmy ONeal Lewis and Cedric Tennessee. The preliminary investigation concluded that Morris had not been involved in any racially motivated activities. The sheriff's office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there . Duncan and a few other young, armed Deacons piled into his brothers canary yellow Pontiac to rescue Lewis, who also received help from a white bondsman from New Orleans. 2021-09-07. Nelson interviewed witnesses to uncover unknown facts and haunting recollections about the racially-motivated murders around Ferriday. He was able to escape the shop but sustained burns on 100% of his body. 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". A black businessman was burned to death in tiny Ferriday, La., in 1964. The building was burned down in the early morning of December 10, 1964. Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. 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. [2] Three new subjects were identified, but the investigators did not uncover any credible physical evidence supporting the allegations. "As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear.". An identified suspect had also fired a shotgun into the home of Junious "Tee-Wee" Kelly after Kelly had witnessed the arson. "We don't really know what the motive is," Ard said. (KNOE) - Authorities are investigating what they believe to be a murder-suicide in Concordia Parish. FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. Morris opened the front door of the shop, where he was met by two men in their thirties, one of whom was armed with a shotgun. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. [according to whom?] Were still trying to piece together all of the details as to what transpired, King said. ranks 6th in nation for best home security, SPD reports low home burglary count, Louisiana Cancer Research center expanding its research opportunities, KNOE Monday Evening Forecast with Chief Meteorologist Marcus Walter. "We dont know if we will ever have a motive exactly why this happened.". -- 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. 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. [according to whom?] "Weve got a better picture on how this happened," the sheriff said of the five killings. All games are FREE. The Deacons believed that arming themselves was the only way to hold off the Klan and protect their homes, neighborhoods and the white and black civil rights workers who came from across the country to help achieve equality. "He gave up," and authorities were able to place him under arrest, he said. Luckily, only the detonator exploded, not the bomb itself, sparing the family from tragedy. Mr. McCrays zeal for education, infectious smile, gentle personality, fashion sense, and love for children will be missed by all of us at Natchez-Adams School District. Later, he was transported to the parish courthouse jail in Vidalia. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. 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. 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.

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