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. [5], Following the bombing, the FBI launched operation "WHARBOM"[5] and placed multiple informants within Klan groups surrounding Natchez. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. Police say the couple was at the woman's mother house at the time. The group is also suspected in the disappearance and murder of an African American employee of the Shamrock Motel, Joseph Edwards. 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. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? Every murder is a senseless murder and this one certainly fits those criteria. 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. 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. "Weve got a better picture on how this happened," the sheriff said of the five killings. 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. 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. Some members of local law enforcement, including Concordia Parish Sheriff Department deputies Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden, were members of the Silver Dollar Group. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. This business serviced both black and white customers. There were two children, ages 1 and 7, in the Ernests home when the killing occurred, but they were unharmed and eventually went to a neighbors home for help, Ard said. 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. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. 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. FERRIDAY, La. Ridgen, a filmmaker from Toronto who reported this story for NPR, helped to spearhead the project with Vancouver-based Paperny Films, and the Berkeley, Calif.-based Center for Investigative Reporting. When Jones was interviewed on September22, he stated that "if he was arrested for this crime, officers also would have to arrest DeLaughter". Nelson published the story Wednesday morning outlining the the allegations against Spencer. Harp described Morris as an alcoholic and had two confrontations with him during 19631965, as well as a small argument outside of the courthouse. According to the sheriff's office, it happened on June 23, 2019, in the. 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. In December 1964, Frank Morris' shoe shop was set ablaze in the middle of the night. [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]. (KTVE/KARD) On Wednesday September 15, officers with the Ferriday Police Department arrested 19-year-old Denzel Washington for 2nd Degree Murder. He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. Were still trying to piece together all of the details as to what transpired, King said. However, Poisott was eliminated as a potential witness due to his erratic amphetamine use and difficulties differentiating between personal knowledge and hearsay. 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. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. A 20-year-old male and 26-year-old female were killed by apparent gunshot wounds. Police say the bodies were found just before 2:30 p.m. at a home on Johnson Street. The late Sammy Davis Jr. no relation to the famous entertainer was elected Ferridays first black mayor in 1984. Much like the Morris case, witness accounts were not corroborating, and in August 1968, the investigation was closed. FERRIDAY, La. hide caption. Cold Case: James Ford Seale: A sheriff's election, nine deaths and a silver dollar, Cold Case: Who killed Joseph Edwards? In three interviews conducted by FBI investigators, Morris stated that "he saw a man pouring gasoline around the place [] another man had a shotgun and told him 'to get back in there, nigger'". 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. Morris, in particular, is featured in this text. ( 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. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris. To date, every civil rights murder case that has been reopened and successfully prosecuted was the direct result of an investigation initiated by a journalist. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris.No one was ever arrested for the killing. 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 Tuesday. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . Nelson, Stanley. 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. Klansmen took advantage of this, throwing a bomb just outside Whatleys bedroom window. That continues today, and even now.. The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations is currently investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place in Ferriday on Sunday night. FERRIDAY, La. Murder of Frank Morris - Wikipedia The group is believed to have had only some twenty members. 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. 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. Juvenile triple-murderer back in court 10 years later Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. CPSO says upon arrival, they found two bodies with fatal gunshot wounds. According to the Concordia Parish Sheriffs Office, on April 25, 2021, at around 9:30 p.m., they were called to a residence on Lake St. John about a shooting. Morris, a black man who had . Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s. We know that [Morris] was the victim of a brutal murder and we want to figure out who did it and we want to figure out why they did it," Tom Perez, assistant attorney general who runs the civil rights division of the Department of Justice, said in an interview last week. The sheriff's office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. Part 3:In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation. According to investigators, on the night of the murder Frederick McCray Jr. gave a ride to the two suspects. All rights reserved. [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". More:Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin's two-toned. Duncan was at the wheel, and when they reached the tracks with Lewis in the car, they bolted past Klansmen waiting there. [2] Scarborough, while under investigation for both Jackson's and Morris's murders, denied any involvement, stating that "every time something happens to a Negro it is immediately blamed on white people. The suspect had been living with the Ernest family for a couple of weeks before the killings, Ard has said. Our effort here, as it is everywhere, is to try and uncover the truth. They met weekly and conducted all-night patrols. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. -- 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. Silver Dollar Group - Wikipedia The Deacons came to life solely to protect their communities and others victimized by Klansmen and police. Ferriday teen arrested for 2nd Degree Murder - myarklamiss.com (KTVE/KARD) On Tuesday August 17 shortly after 2:00 a.m., troopers from Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash on . If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Louisiana family seeks answers in cold case disappearance, murder Who Killed Frank Morris? - Nieman Reports Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Concordia Parish had 14 recorded racially-motivated murders between 1964 and 1967.[4]. On 50th anniversary of Ferriday civil rights killing - Louisiana Voice He would return home wounded physically and confounded mentally over how he could have been considered good enough to risk his life for his country in Vietnam but not good enough to attend the local high school. 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. On December 10, 1964, two unidentified white men set fire to the shoe repair shop owned by Frank Morris. Morris was interviewed three times; however, he was heavily medicated. He was targeted by the SDG. Louisiana shooting suspect Dakota Theriot captured. Ferriday policemen, including "DeLaughter, Bill Ogden, and Ferriday Police Chief Bob Warren", had ordered an unidentified witness to "keep his mouth shut", and later told him to "get out of town". Frank Morris Historical Marker The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office was called to the home at around 8:47 a.m. that morning, he said. This was of interest to the FBI, as multiple informants stated that the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Department had prior knowledge of the coming attack on Morris, and was told to "be on the other side of the parish". Ferriday Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide that happened Wednesday afternoon. No one was ever arrested for the . The population of Adams County was split roughly in half between blacks and whites. 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. FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriffs Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. [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. Two white CORE members, who practiced the non-violent approach championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were beaten. Webre said that Theirots wounded father called 911 to report the shootings in Ascension Parish. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. Lewis raced outside with a shotgun. 4/23/2021 7:14 AM PT. [4] Multiple disappearances and murders in the Natchez, Mississippi, area were connected to both the KKK and the SDG. 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. Soon, Lewis was back in his Ferriday home and reunited with his wife and children. No one was hurt during the arrest, Ard said. [5] Jackson had recently been promoted to a position never before held by an African American. 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. There were rumors of Morris being romantically involved with the wife of a white man, and after the arson, the white couple soon left town. Updated: Aug 18, 2021 / 01:29 PM CDT. Frank Morris's mother, Charlotte, died shortly after his birth. Upon their arrival, the bodies of Mark Clark, 65, and Donna Clark, 49, of Ferriday, were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Born in Jonesboro before spreading most notably to Bogalusa, Homer and Ferriday, the Deacons main purpose was to fight fire with fire and to protect their communities. Blacks also became deputies and police officers. The sheriffs office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. I hate it for him and his family. FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. 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. "By the time the neighbors called 911, the incident in Ascension was already happening," Ard said. Part 1:A half-century ago in Jonesboro, armed black men fought back. 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. Minutes later, he, not his attackers, was arrested. 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. Luckily, only the detonator exploded, not the bomb itself, sparing the family from tragedy. 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. CPSO officials said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and there are no suspects at large. READ:George Floyds killing resurrects nightmares for families of civil rights martyrs. In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects. Ferriday police chief: Two arrests made in Sunday afternoon killing in Preliminary autopsy results show the three members of the Ernest family were each shot one time in the head with the handgun that was recovered, Ard said. The expiry of the grand jury looking into the civil rights era murder of Frank Morris in the small town of Ferriday, Louisiana, has prompted expressions of anger and frustration from those . Deacons for Defense and Justice in Ferriday, Louisiana took a stand "So, this is a monster.". Violent Klansmen had long been embedded with corrupt cops, some of whom wore robes themselves. Our sincere condolences are offered to his family, friends, and coworkers.. Until now, the case has gone. 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. [6] Ferriday Police officer William Howell Harp Jr. alleged that Morris was a bootlegger and sold narcotics. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday - NewsBreak 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. The building was burned down in the early morning of December 10, 1964. 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. There have been allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and involvement by local law enforcement. Ferridays population of more than 4,500 residents was roughly half black and half white in the mid-1960s, a time when black citizens quietly celebrated civil rights wins and white supremacists desperately tried to halt legislative and social change. [2] All four men were questioned and denied any involvement in the arson and murder. Ferriday police responded to shots fired at approximately noon Sunday and found a man deceased with gunshot wounds upon their arrival. Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. 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. This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 04:13. [3] Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. In an interview with Nelson, Spencer denies those allegations. Later that week, officers Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden intimidated Kelly and forced him out of town. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. [1] The group formed in 1964 at the Shamrock Motor Hotel in Vidalia, Louisiana by Raleigh Jackson "Red" Glover,[2] amidst dissatisfaction at the lack of forceful action by Klan groups in the region. 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. Come nightfall, hed study his lessons by a spotlight illuminating his grandmothers lawn while keeping watch for violent Klansmen enraged over his involvement in the civil rights movement. 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. Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a. Crime rate in Ferriday, LA - City-Data King said the investigation is still ongoing and more arrests are anticipated. The sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. (See pages 14-16 of this PDF.). McGorty reported that the Deacons membership in Ferriday totaled 23. . The following day Morris's shop was attacked. Warrants have been signed for a Ferriday man who allegedly shot and killed another Ferriday man early Saturday morning in Ferriday. David Whatley, who was a CORE member himself while a student at Ferriday High School, confirmed in a recent interview that the Ferriday Deacons were armed. 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. [2] The FBI investigators believed that Morris knew his attackers, but was unwilling to divulge their identities. Louisiana State University Press, 2016. McCray dutifully taught Technology Foundations and also served as Assistant Test Coordinator. 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. Atcheson, who was familiar with the Deacons for Defense and Justice, later told FBI agent Don McGorty that Ferriday resident Victor Graham had contacted the Jonesboro Deacons and that a month later, in August 1965, the Ferriday chapter was formed. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. The group killed an African American man, Frank Morris, by arson in Ferriday, Louisiana, and is suspected in two car bombings of NAACP leaders in Natchez, Mississippi, George Metcalfe and Wharlest Jackson. According to Ferriday Police Investigator Sean Sublett, Wilbert Henderson, 42, arrived at his home on Fifth Street and Tennessee at 12:44 a.m. Saturday when a man approached him from the side of . Klansmen had learned that McCraney was a member of a secret organization of black activists, the Deacons for Defense and Justice. The Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office (CPSO) is leading the investigation into the shooting at 106 Gremillion Street. 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.
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