The Killen Trial: The Verdict

The verdict was read yesterday: Guilty on three counts of manslaughter. 41 years to the day that James Chaney, Michael Schwener and Andrew Goodman were murdered justice was served. I'm only sorry it took so long for Mr. Killen to be brought to justice but, to paraphrase District Attorney Mark Duncan, we can never undo the wrongs that were done in 1964 but at least now we've done what we can.

Mr. Killen will be sentenced tomorrow and you can be sure the world will still be watching. Edgar Ray could receive a maximum of 20 years for each count. Even with one sentence of 20 years, that would likely be a life sentence for Edgar Ray. Well done, Mississippi. Well done.

I am still baffled, shocked and saddened that Harlan Majure gave the testimony that he did. I suppose I was hoping that upstanding men such as himself were incapable of being so blind to the facts but I suppose I've been proven wrong, yet again. Mr. Majure, I continue to pray that you will see the error of your ways. For the sake of your eternal soul, I hope, sir, that this shall come to pass.

I shall close with the following editorial that Jim Prince wrote for this week's Neshoba Democrat:


Neshoba County faced one of its greatest challenges with the triple murder trial of Edgar Ray Killen, but the character of the good and decent people here won the day.

Many have called the conviction monumental, a watershed in Mississippi civil rights history, the trial of the century. Others have asked, “why stir it up,” saying it was pointless to open old wounds that had long since healed over.

The trial, which ended Tuesday with Killen’s conviction on three counts of felony manslaughter, did stoke old wounds, but the verdict was a great day for Mississippi, for Philadelphia, Neshoba County and for justice.

Murder is murder and for good and obvious reasons there is no statute of limitations on murder.

Prosecutors proved that Killen masterminded the execution of the three young men who had come to Mississippi to help blacks register to vote.

The crime four decades ago branded Philadelphia as a hotbed of racism, but the jury this week has helped us take a first and necessary step in excising an old evil that a majority of the people here never condoned in the first place.

It can be said that justice reigns in Neshoba County today, not the lawlessness of the 1960s under the tyranny of Edgar Ray Killen and his thugs who for 40 years have defined not only Neshoba County but the state of Mississippi.

We pronounce a new dawn in Mississippi, one in which the chains of cynicism and racism have been broken and we are free, free at last, thank God Almighty we are free at last!

Neshoba County District Attorney Mark Duncan said after the verdict that our county has begun to rewrite that virulently racist chapter of our history, which received a renewal of national attention through the 1988 movie “Mississippi Burning.”

“I’m one of you all, too. For too long, we’ve borne the burden of what was done here by a handful of people 41 years ago,” Duncan said. “We’ve shown the rest of the world the true character of the people of Neshoba County.”

Georgia Graham, 41, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, tempered her satisfaction with caution. Watching as Killen was wheeled into a sheriff’s car after the verdict, she echoed the reaction of many other black townspeople here, The New York Times reported.

“It’s a step forward,” Graham said. “But there still are a lot of people who are guilty of this. This is letting them know they’ve been put on notice.”

Finally holding Edgar Ray Killen accountable for this horrendous crime is a powerful and necessary part of acknowledging and correcting the past.

To ignore evil is a complicit sin and for 40 years we have been in denial.

The jury had a difficult task. The evidence was weak, but the state met its burden of proof. As weak as the prosecution was — mainly because of the passage of time — the defense was even weaker.

We are pleased and yet disappointed with manslaughter, but Edgar Ray Killen deserves the maximum sentence and no less.

Well said, Mr. Prince.

--Jonathan

The Killen Trial--Update

This just appeared on WJTV's website:

The defense has rested in the trial of a former Ku Klux Klansman in the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers. Defense attorneys rested their case after a former mayor testified that the white-supremacist group was a "peaceful organization." Harlan Majure, who was mayor of Philadelphia in the 1990s, said Edgar Ray Killen was a good man and that the part-time preacher's Klan membership would not change his opinion. Majure said the Klan --quote-- "did a lot of good up here" and said he was not personally aware of the organization's bloody past. His comment was met with murmurs in the packed courtroom.

What?? Mr. Majure is an elder at my home church in Philadelphia, Mississippi. I can not believe he would say such things. How could be unaware of the Klans violent past?? What rock have you been under, Mr. Majure?? How was it being under for the last 100 years? And, please, I challange you to tell me what "good" the Klan has done for Neshoba County or anywhere else for that matter.

Remember, Mr. Majure, purjury is a felony. You, sir, lied under oath. How could anyone say the Klan is not violent or that they've done good??

I can not believe that former mayor, mail man and Elder at my CHURCH would say such things.

I have lost all respect for you.

--Jonathan

The Killen Trial

The trial of reputed Klansman Edgar Ray Killen, the man indicted for masterminding the murders of three cival rights workers in my hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi, is moving along and could go to the jury as quickly as today. Unfortunately I haven't been able to watch any of the trial coverage available on the web through WJTV's website but I have been reading as much as I can about it. I think the state has presented its case well but I'm not too sure if they've done a good enough job for the jury to be without reasonable doubt. The fact that Attorney General Jim Hood asked Judge Marcus Gordon to allow the jury to consider a charge of manslaughter ought to be in indication that they're not very confident.

The defense is expected to present their final witness, Harlan Majure, today (although I'm still trying to figure out why he's testifying for the defense--I hope we're not about to find out something bad about one of the elders from my church). After closing arguments the jury will deliberate for God knows how long on a verdict.

One think that I am absolutely apauld at is what some people are saying about the trial. WJTV's website has an area where people can leave their thoughts about the trial. Some examples:

submitter: Tammy
hometown: Carthage
I THINK MR.KILLEN IS NOT GUILTY!! YALL LEAVE HIM ALONE!! HE MADE PEACE WITH GOD!!!!!

submitter: me
hometown: philadelphia
i think that if a life is taken then the person that took that life should be punished. but on the other hand if the three young men, had threating phone in meridian and philadelphia, they know what they were getting into when they came back down south.

submitter: leigh
hometown: carthage
I think it is all bull---- and i think that the the klan is doing nothing wrong. Killen should be home enjoying his old age like every other old person. Every black person feels threatened by the KKK. They always have some racial comment. Thats the south if you dont like it move the hell up north. KILLEN IS INNOCENT and if the klan wants to be there no one should make them leave. You wouldn't make the black panthers leave would you.

I hope and pray that people like this are the very vocal minority. Submitter "me" seems to feel that the three young men deserved to be murdered. Really, is that how you feel? Come on, man. Use that tiny brain of yours for something other than following high school football.

"Leigh" needs to get out of the trailor and realize that the south has come a long way since 1964. Hey "Leigh," that is NOT the way the south is. That's the way it used to be, not the way it is now. Put down the Boone's Farm, turn Oprah off and read a damned newspaper from time to time. Maybe you're the one who needs to move so that the south won't look so bad. It's biggots like you who make all southerners look like the toothless rednecks that the press like to portray is as.

"Tammy," I'd love to believe that a man of God couldn't be guilty of such crimes. Maybe it's not, I'm not the one who's going to make that decision. No matter what the judge and jury decide God will be the ultimate judge of Mr. Killen. However, her's not look further than the Roman Catholic Church to see evidence of what "men of God" are capable of. If Catholic priests (thankfully not a majority of them) can be guilty of molesting little boys, Mr. Killen is just as capable or murder.

But not all is lost. There are a few people who seem to have a clue:

submitter: latasha
hometown: philadelphia
As I serve as a young citizen from Philadelphia and living here most of my life I spent most of my senior year of high school doing research on this trial and the killing of the three civil rights workers. After looking over all the things that happened I feel that justice should be served to Mr.killens if he did take part in this because I'm sure the others are or will face the lord up above. I will continue to watch the rest of the trial and hope that everyone that took part serve justice and put an end to all the ghosts in Philadelphia

submitter: June
hometown: Port Gibson, MS
In my opinion, it is never too late for justice to be served. The fact that Killen is elderly does not erase the incredible pain that the families of the three murdered activists have endured over the past 4 decades. Killen should be treated in the same manner as any other U.S. citizen who is indicted by a grand jury. If there was sufficient evidence to bring his case to trial, the judical process should proceed accordingly. This trial represents an opportunity for Mississippi to make a huge step forward in healing past wounds and forging new and promising relationships within the state and throughout the nation. The value in the trial is not represented by whether or not Killen is found guilty. The value and the ultimate lesson lies squarely in the "reality" that Mississippi was willing to address the issue. The eyes of the world are upon our state; let justice reign!!

submitter: Watching You
hometown: Jackson, MS
To the White Southerner and all the other racists. This is a new South, a new time and a new day. It should be obvious to you IDIOTS. This is why the TRIAL is taking place as you read this email. We will not longer put up with your white trash, low-life behavior. Those DAYS ARE OVER! So accept it and shut the hell up.

What? There are people with brains in the south? WOW! "Watching You" said it best. Well said, my friend!

But of all the comments I read, this one was my favorite:

submitter: d harrison
hometown: monticello
he did not do it just like oj did not do it

I'm assuming you're refering to the fact that OJ really did do it... if so, LMAO

This trial has revealed much about the new south. People DO want to see justice served. Racism is pretty much DEAD. For those rednecks who want to keep the Klan alive and advocate racism, I hope you have a great life in the trailor park. The rest of us who are civalized and educated will have to foot the bill for your welfare, however, so don't be surprised if you don't get much respect from us REAL human beings.

The racist rednecks: Scum.

--Jonathan

Another Day, Another Post

Well, here is the long awaited next post from me. For the two or so of you who actually read this thing, I apprecaite it and I promise to try really hard to post on a more regular basis. Life's been crazy for me lately, some of which I'll get into later. At any rate, here goes:

I have a gripe first off... Randy Alomar has crossed every line of wrong by what he's doing on the air right now. First, a little FYI for those of you not in the know. He did/does a feature on his show everyday where his grandmother would say rap lyrics and if you could guess what song she was doing, you'd win whatever prize was up for grabs that day. On Friday he went on the air and said that his grandmother was dead. I even wrote him an email expressing my condolances. But then I found out from TWO people that his grandmother is not dead, that she is alive and well in PA. The reason for the on-air hoopla was because she apparently didn't want to do the feature anymore so they decided to "kill her off" the show. Now, some would say that this is done in TV shows all the time and those that would say that would be correct. However, this is a blood reletive we're talking about here and not just some paid actor; this just reeks of 30 shades of wrongness. Randy, how do you think your grandmother would feel if she knew you were on the air and telling the people of Fort Wayne that she's dead? And how would the listeners feel if they knew you were playing with their emotions like this? Thing like this can be compelling but, come on man, there's no need to lie and especially about your grandmother. This is just wrong and you owe the listeners of Fort Wayne and your grandmother (her even more so) a big time apology.

But I won't hold my breath for it.

That stuff aside, I'm doing well for the most part. Right now I have some kind of flu-like sickness but it's not quite kicking my ass. Life outside of work has been up and down but, thankfully, more ups have been happening lately than downs. Something I'm really excited about is that I've been asked if I would be interested in being featured on 10 Questions on All Access, which is a radio industry website. That'll be cool because I've never done it before and many bigger names than I'll ever be have been featured in there so it's a real honor to be chosen.

The Edgar Ray Killen trial gets under way in my hometown on Monday, unless the judge grands the Defense's motion for a delay. We should know more about that by Friday. But it's going to suck big balls either way. You should hear the preparations they have for it... blocking off streest for protesters, news media having their own area, the state police bringing in their mobile command center... it's going to be a mad house. Honsetly, I'm kind of glad I'm not down there for it.

I would love to post more but I have a meeting in a few minutes. Until then...

--Jonathan