| Jan 24, 2007 @ 9:06 PM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved
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eastham
Posts: 7,913
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In recent years, prosecutors have put to rest several notorious crimes from the Civil Rights Era -- the assassination of Medgar Evers, the 1963 Birmingham church bombing and the 1964 slayings in Philadelphia, MS.
In 1964 when searching for the bodies of 3 missing civil rights workers -- Chaney, Goodman and Schwermer, police discovered the bodies of two black men, Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee. The men had been beated severely, then tied to railroad ties and a car's engine block. Still living, they were thrown into the river. Their bodies were found near Tallulah, LA.
Before their deaths, Moore and Dee were seen hitchhiking near an ice cream parlor in the town of Meadville, MS. Klansmen, James Forde Seale and Charles Marcus Edwards picked up the hitchhikers, took them to a local woods and beat them severely. Several other Klansmen were suspected of abetting Seale and Edwards, but all have since died.
For many years, Seale's family has told authorities that he was dead; however Moore's brother, Thomas, who had never given up the fight to bring his killers to justice and a Canadian documentary film-maker found Seale living only several miles away from where the killings took place.
Through her sobs, Dee's sister, Thelma Collins told the AP, "I never thought I would live to see it, no sir, I never did. I always prayed that justice would be done - somehow, some way."
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| Jan 28, 2007 @ 6:36 PM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved |
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tatiana329
Posts: 1,122
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I saw that on the news. The man they arrested was old. Its too bad it took so long. Just terrible that for so long he was free after such a senselesss crime.
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| Jan 28, 2007 @ 8:16 PM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved
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SunBabe
Posts: 12,279
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I read a few articles on this. What a sense of relief it must be to the family...but what a sense of sorrow reading about how the death affected his brother  I wish him peace for the rest of his lifetime.
I'm glad it's all over now...and that there's not a statute of limitation on murder...no matter how old the perp is.
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| Jan 28, 2007 @ 8:52 PM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved |
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eastham
Posts: 7,913
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And shame on those who hid him for so long.
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| Jan 29, 2007 @ 12:20 AM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved
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ravensday
Posts: 388
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I dont think it was really a question of him hiding, it was more a question of lost evidence. Back then the DA "declined to procecute". Not because they didnt have the evidence, but because, it was a case againist a white man. How many white men in the South during the 50's & 60's would testify againist a white man in a crime against a black man? Hardly any at all. I am still surprized all these years later that there were some convictions. Any way in this case as time passed evidence diaperared and witnesses died. This man was finaly brought to justice because his brother kept pushing the issue. Then a reporter found the missing evidence file. Thankfully Murder is one crime that there is no statue of limitation. And I sincerly doubt that this will be last murder mystery solved from that era. I am sure that countless black men, women and children were killed and had no one to speak for them. Maybe now, someone will remember them and try to find out what happend to them.
Sad, Sad time in our history. I am Southerner, but I was raised to respect persons of all race! I am glad times are changing. Maybe one day people will be able to look past the color of skin and see that we are all human and we in this country are all Americans.
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| Jan 29, 2007 @ 10:36 PM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved |
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eastham
Posts: 7,913
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In the article I read, it wasn't simply missing evidence, but that the family was lying to the authorities that they believed Seale had died, knowing full well he was alive and living 2 miles from the crime scene.
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| Jan 30, 2007 @ 11:30 AM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved
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ravensday
Posts: 388
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They did a story on him on one of the news agencies. The file was found by one of the investigators. A writer in Canada had the file.
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| Feb 24, 2007 @ 9:31 AM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved |
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eastham
Posts: 7,913
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http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/fbi-may-reopen-civil-rights-era-cold/20070223225009990001
In light of the recent arrest of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee (killed in 1964), the FBI is expected to announce on Tuesday, it will reopen a number of other cold cases from the Civil Rights Era.
As noted earlier in this thread, a Canadian documentary-maker/writer provided the information to the FBI and to Mississippi authorities, which led to the arrest of James Forde Seale. For decades, the Southern Poverty Law Center has also been a repository for information obtained by private investigators, families and other interested parties in the disappearance/murder of civil rights workers, lynchings and church burnings.
There is no statute of limitations on murder.
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| Feb 24, 2007 @ 10:35 AM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved
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juzhey
Posts: 565
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"the family was lying to the authorities that they believed Seale had died, knowing full well he was alive and living 2 miles from the crime scene."
So why aren't these people also up on charges?
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| Feb 24, 2007 @ 10:39 AM |
Last Murder Mystery of the Civil Rights Era Solved |
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eastham
Posts: 7,913
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They may very well be brought up on charges, the case is still on-going.
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