More:Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. 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. Solving A 1964 Cold Case: Mystery Of Frank Morris : NPR Frank Morris Historical Marker 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. Once their mission was complete, members quietly returned to their modest lives. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Much like the Morris case, witness accounts were not corroborating, and in August 1968, the investigation was closed. 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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. The first full investigation of the Frank Morris murder began in January 1965, at the request of then-Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, Burke Marshall. The group was largely found in Mississippi and Louisiana, and was named for their practice of identifying themselves by carrying a silver dollar. 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. "Weve got a better picture on how this happened," the sheriff said of the five killings. [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. CPSO officials said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and there are no suspects at large. [4] Multiple disappearances and murders in the Natchez, Mississippi, area were connected to both the KKK and the SDG. Their only protection came from the Deacons, he said. UPDATE: Ferriday man charged with murder in Sunday afternoon fatal Until now, the case has gone unsolved. Delaughter lied about his location during the arson, claiming that he was out of the jurisdiction on a non-emergency call. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. By Sabrina Simms Robertson. 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. 0. [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 suspects are identified as Jimmy ONeal Lewis and Cedric Tennessee. When Lewis was released after serving two weeks, Whatley and Antonne Duncan were part of a Deacon team organized to get him home safely. ", "We know what happened here. His father, Sullivan, operated a shoe shop in Natchez, Mississippi. "As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear.". Louisiana journalist pursuing KKK killers across time - USA Today Ferriday Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide that happened Wednesday afternoon. 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. 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 . Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. 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. IE 11 is not supported. Deacons for Defense and Justice in Ferriday, Louisiana took a stand The sheriff's office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. Nelson interviewed witnesses to uncover unknown facts and haunting recollections about the racially-motivated murders around Ferriday. In the last 5 years Ferriday has seen decreasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. He said the bureau concluded that if the bombs two sticks of blasting powder would have ignited, the house might have been destroyed. They knew Klansmen would await Lewis release and that deputies would notify the Klan that a black activist was being released from jail. "[2], On November 1920, 1967, two confidential sources described the same November meeting in which Morace, Jones, Torgersen, and Scarborough implicated themselves in the murder of Morris. Ferriday, La. No subscription required to play. 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. After a false KKK rumor that he had flirted with. 2021-09-07. The Department of Justice and the FBI say they are conducting ongoing investigations into the Morris case. 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. Authorities in Louisiana will seek to extradite Theriot from Virginia, Webre said. [1][pageneeded] The shop was also his residence. We worked into the night (Sunday). Jeff Davis 8: The True Story of the 'Murder in the Bayou' Killings 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. The population of Adams County was split roughly in half between blacks and whites. 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. [citation needed], Ferriday is located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from Adams County, Mississippi. The Silver Dollar Group (SDG) was a violent and exceptionally militant Klan offshoot that operated in Adams County between 1964 and 1967. FERRIDAY, La. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday - NewsBreak 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. [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. Donnie. Until now, the case has gone. This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 04:13. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. We spent all those years hating each other for reasons we dont know, Whatley said. 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. All rights reserved. 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. FERRIDAY, La. 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 Deacons were unlike any such group before or since. [2] All four men were questioned and denied any involvement in the arson and murder. Cops are investigating a double shooting -- including one fatality -- in the now-famous L.A. neighborhood where the movie "Friday" was filmed. McCray dutifully taught Technology Foundations and also served as Assistant Test Coordinator. Duncan was at the wheel, and when they reached the tracks with Lewis in the car, they bolted past Klansmen waiting there. 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 investigating suspected murder-suicide "Cold Case: Morris' Granddaughter Says FBI $10,000 Reward Gives Her New Hope". Blacks also became deputies and police officers. 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. Warrant issued in Ferriday killing - Hanna Newspapers Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years-old. Our effort here, as it is everywhere, is to try and uncover the truth. [2], The FBI reopened the Frank Morris investigation in 2007, as part of the Civil Rights Era Cold Case Initiative. [2] The FBI had received information that local law enforcement officials had been involved. "[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. 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. 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. According to investigators, on the night of the murder Frederick McCray Jr. gave a ride to the two suspects. Part 3:In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation. The group is also suspected in the disappearance . On May 20, 2005, the decomposed body of 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis was fished out of a canal on the outskirts of Jennings, in the Jefferson Davis Parish of southwest Louisiana. Morris, a black man who had . As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. In a report from the Concordi Theriot then allegedly went to Ascension Parish were he killed his parents, and then fled. They met weekly and conducted all-night patrols. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. FERRIDAY, La. The following day Morris's shop was attacked. According to authorities, McCray was a teacher in Natchez with two degrees. The Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office (CPSO) is leading the investigation into the shooting at 106 Gremillion Street. All games are FREE. 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. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. In Ferriday, La., an 'outlaw town,' the Deacons took a stand [2], Stanley Nelson, an award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist, published Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s, after a series of articles in the Concordia Sentinel. Young pilot killed in small-plane crash in Catahoula Parish - The News-Star Louisiana family seeks answers in cold case disappearance, murder 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. Concordia Parish authorities investigating suspected murder-suicide - KNOE Who Killed Frank Morris? - Nieman Reports Theriot said he used a handgun stolen from his father, Keith Theriot, and that it was the weapon recovered after he was arrested, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said at a news conference Tuesday. Nelson investigated rumors that police officers possibly committed the arson; according to Della Mae Smith, "Deputy Frank DeLaughter had organized the arson" and local police had set the home ablaze. More history:Woman works to preserve Bogalusa home turned headquarters of civil rights group. Justice may finally be served, thanks to the reporting of Stanley Nelson of the weekly Concordia Sentinel. In 1965, Klansmen had bombed the home of Whatleys neighbor, Robert L. Buck Lewis Jr., who had raced outside with a shotgun to defend his family against the perpetrators. . FERRIDAY, La. 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 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. 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. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. 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. 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. Courtesy of the Concordia Sentinel and William Brown He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. We will continue to update this story with more information as it develops. Nelson is a member of the Civil Rights Cold Case Project, a group of journalists, filmmakers, law schools and other organizations created in 2008 by Paperny Films in Canada and the Center for Investigative Reporting in Berkeley, Calif. With the help of FBI documents Nelson received through Freedom of Information requests and from the Syracuse College of Law Cold Case Justice Initiative, and extensive interviews with those who knew Morris or about the case, he was able to piece together the story, ultimately naming a person suspected of being involved: Arthur Leonard Spencer, 71, of Rayville, La. 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. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . "He has confessed to killing the five victims," Ard said. No one was ever arrested for the killing. 2 People Shot in L.A. Neighborhood Where 'Friday' Was Filmed - TMZ 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. On 50th anniversary of Ferriday civil rights killing - Louisiana Voice CPSO says upon arrival, they found two bodies with fatal gunshot wounds. Morris was taken to the hospital by two Ferriday police officers and was able to speak to FBI investigators. The 2020 Ferriday crime rate rose by 14% compared to 2019. There have been allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and involvement by local law enforcement. That was not the only time Whatley helped an imprisoned black man in Ferriday. "By the time the neighbors called 911, the incident in Ascension was already happening," Ard said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Cold Case: James Ford Seale: A sheriff's election, nine deaths and a silver dollar, Cold Case: Who killed Joseph Edwards? (KNOE) - Authorities are investigating what they believe to be a murder-suicide in Concordia Parish. 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 group is also suspected in the disappearance and murder of an African American employee of the Shamrock Motel, Joseph Edwards. The newspapers the bourbon was wrapped in had no signs of burning, indicating tampering with the scene. All games are FREE. FERRIDAY, La. The main force that we had was marches, he said. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? He told the FBI in 1965 that though he was not a member, Deacons had sought his advice and counsel. 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. An identified suspect had also fired a shotgun into the home of Junious "Tee-Wee" Kelly after Kelly had witnessed the arson. 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. 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. Lewis raced outside with a shotgun. 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. His daily tasks included repairing shoes and saddles, selling jewellery, hats, and clothing, and dyeing purses. So when there was a problem, there was a way of communicating to them what was going on.. We would make it known that we were alert and we were awake, and they would flee, Whatley said. 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. [according to whom?] They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. Still inside at the time, Morris was severely injured; he died four days later at a nearby hospital in Ferriday, La. Whatley also was at a great risk for Klan attacks because CORE workers were housed in his grandmothers home, where he also lived. [5] Jackson had recently been promoted to a position never before held by an African American. Sons of KKK members haunted by sins of their fathers - The Daily Advertiser Check out these great suggestions. Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. A 20-year-old male and 26-year-old female were killed by apparent gunshot wounds. Concordia Parish had 14 recorded racially-motivated murders between 1964 and 1967.[4]. Wed march on the jail. Updated: Aug 18, 2021 / 01:29 PM CDT. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris. [3] Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. They also stated that Morace described a battery-powered device which could "spray five gallons of gasoline in five minutes". He killed five people," Webre said. 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. When Theriot arrived at the home, deputies were already there. The sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. 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. 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. "We've got a better picture on how this happened. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. Morris opened Frank's Shoes Service in the late 1930s, in his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana. [2] After one of the subjects lit a match, the shop caught fire; Morris was still present in the building. Every murder is a senseless murder and this one certainly fits those criteria. "He gave up," and authorities were able to place him under arrest, he said. Morris, in particular, is featured in this text. 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. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. Two killed in Ferriday . 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. ( 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. [according to whom?] 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. 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.
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