The FBI case file titled MIBURN, short for Mississippi Burning, still sparks the nation’s interest after fifty plus years. In June of 1964, three civil rights workers were kidnapped and later murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi. Mickey Schwerner, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman were all a part of the Council of Federal Organizations (COFO) and also the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
During this time, blacks were still not able to vote so the three young men were campaigning in Mississippi were black voting rights. The campaign was called “Freedom Summer.”
The trio had traveled to Meridian, Mississippi in order to speak with members of a local church that had just recently been burned down. After leaving the church, the three men had been apprehended during a routine traffic stop for speeding, just outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi. They were taken into custody and held there for a number of hours. They were later released. As the young men were leaving town, they were pulled over and abducted. They were driven to a secluded area and shot and killed.
The suspects drove the bodies to an earthen dam were they buried them. Cecil Price, Neshoba County sheriff said, “The first man who talks is dead! Anybody who knows anything about this opens his mouth to any outsider about it, we are going to kill him just as dead as we killed those three sonabithces tonight. Does everybody understand what I am saying? The man who talks is dead!” An investigation took place the very next day for the disappearance of the three men. The case eventually hit headlines nationwide.
The burnt up station wagon that three men were in was found by FBI agents. After finding the vehicle, the pressure was on by attorney general Robert Kennedy. Over 200 agents and federal troops were involved in the investigation. The bodies of the young men were found on August 4th, 1964. 19 men were indicted for violating the civil rights of James, Andrew, and Michael. The men went on trial after three years. Seven of the nineteen were found guilty. Nine of the men were exonerated while the other three were stuck at a standstill. The judge sentenced the men years ranging from three to ten. “They killed one nigger, one Jew, and a white man. I gave them what I thought they deserved,” said Judge Cox after sentencing. On January 7, 2005, Edgar R. Killen was charged for three counts of murder after being blamed for planning the murders of the three men. Killen is now serving out a sixty year sentence.
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Mississippi Burning: MIBURN case still relevant
March 8, 2017
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