killing in ferriday, louisiana

"He gave up," and authorities were able to place him under arrest, he said. Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s. Their only protection came from the Deacons, he said. They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. Harp and colleagues also found a "slightly scorched" suitcase filled with fourteen and a half pints of bourbon. FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. No charges have been brought despite three FBI investigations. 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. 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. [2] The FBI had received information that local law enforcement officials had been involved. Part 3:In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation. 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. Duncan was at the wheel, and when they reached the tracks with Lewis in the car, they bolted past Klansmen waiting there. Check out these great suggestions. (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 . This business serviced both black and white customers. During the 1960s, the area was a strictly segregated society. Dakota Theriot was taken into custody in Virginia after killing five people in Louisiana on Jan. 27, 2019. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. The preliminary investigation concluded that Morris had not been involved in any racially motivated activities. Theriots parents, Keith and Elizabeth Theriot, were killed at their home in Ascension Parish and Keith Theriot gave information to investigators before he died that pointed to his son as the suspect, the sheriff of that parish has said. Morris was interviewed three times; however, he was heavily medicated. Wed walk nights with rifles on our shoulders like you would see in some foreign countries, Whatley said. [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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "By the time the neighbors called 911, the incident in Ascension was already happening," Ard said. Nelson, Stanley. There have been allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and involvement by local law enforcement. 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. Police said the weapon used the shooting was a .45 caliber pistol. Morris, in particular, is featured in this text. In an interview with Nelson, Spencer denies those allegations. [6] Although people generally thought highly of Morris, black residents thought Morris was too shocking to white residents. One such informant, known as Orvin C. "Coonie" Poissot, was a Klansman from Texas who had a relationship with a local sheriff's deputy named Frank Delaughter, whom Poissot implicated as a conspirator in the murder of Frank Morris. Delaughter lied about his location during the arson, claiming that he was out of the jurisdiction on a non-emergency call. When he saw one of the perpetrators fleeing the scene, he instinctively raised his gun and pulled the trigger, only to hear an empty click. According to investigators, on the night of the murder Frederick McCray Jr. gave a ride to the two suspects. 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. More:Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. 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". 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. More history:Woman works to preserve Bogalusa home turned headquarters of civil rights group. 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. In the last 5 years Ferriday has seen decreasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. -- 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. The Silver Dollar Group (SDG) was a violent and exceptionally militant Klan offshoot that operated in Adams County between 1964 and 1967. The newspapers the bourbon was wrapped in had no signs of burning, indicating tampering with the scene. 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. Two white CORE members, who practiced the non-violent approach championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were beaten. Whatley said Deacons held meetings at Mercy Seat Baptist Church, where shoe shop owner Frank Morris had served as an usher, as well as Mount Olive Baptist Church and St. Charles Catholic Church. FERRIDAY, La. 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. CPSO officials said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and there are no suspects at large. (KTVE/KARD) On Wednesday September 15, officers with the Ferriday Police Department arrested 19-year-old Denzel Washington for 2nd Degree Murder. 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. (See pages 14-16 of this PDF.). 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. 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. When the group began to phase out in Ferriday and the other towns by 1966, the FBI stopped keeping close tabs on the Deacons. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. The late Sammy Davis Jr. no relation to the famous entertainer was elected Ferridays first black mayor in 1984. McGorty reported that the Deacons membership in Ferriday totaled 23. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. 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. "I dont know what was going through a 7-year-olds mind, but I know it was a lot, so I would imagine that was we know that's why it took so long.". He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. Ferriday Police investigating suspected murder-suicide, West Monroe man arrested after allegedly raping adopted daughter, Monroe duo arrested for alleged sex trafficking of minor, 10-year-old shot during argument, Marion man arrested, 2 Winnfield residents arrested following death of 3 year old, One lucky winner in Arkansas is about to become $2.338M richer, La. Stanley Nelson is editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, Louisiana. When Jones was interviewed on September22, he stated that "if he was arrested for this crime, officers also would have to arrest DeLaughter". [2] Morace requested that Klan members from Mississippi "give him a beating". 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. The main force that we had was marches, he said. Lewis decided that if two visiting white men like Atcheson and Clurman were willing to take a beating in the name of civil rights in Ferriday, it was time for him to take a stand, too, and in August 1965, Lewis got involved with the CORE-sponsored Ferriday Freedom Movement. Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. 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. Read full article on original website. FERRIDAY, La. ( 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. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. The following day Morris's shop was attacked. Harp described Morris as an alcoholic and had two confrontations with him during 19631965, as well as a small argument outside of the courthouse. 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. Frank Morris's mother, Charlotte, died shortly after his birth. 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. A month after Seale was indicted in January 2007, the FBI announced a new cold case initiative and published a shortlist of about 100 civil rights era cases that it planned to reprobe. In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years-old. [5], Following the bombing, the FBI launched operation "WHARBOM"[5] and placed multiple informants within Klan groups surrounding Natchez. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. We believe there had been some type of verbal altercation from maybe an ongoing dispute. Until now, the case has gone unsolved. He told the FBI in 1965 that though he was not a member, Deacons had sought his advice and counsel. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considered the SDG to be a highly-dangerous domestic terror cell, and conducted multiple investigations into its activities. [2] Morris entered a coma two days later, and died on December14. . The men broke multiple shop windows and proceeded to "spread a flammable liquid around the outside of the shop, and evidence indicates that the subjects may have spread the flammable liquid inside of the shop". Webre said that Theirots wounded father called 911 to report the shootings in Ascension Parish. The Natchez-Adams School District said he taught 8th grade at Morgantown Middle School. That was not the only time Whatley helped an imprisoned black man in Ferriday. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. "So, this is a monster.". "We just know what he did. The building was burned down in the early morning of December 10, 1964. So far no charges have been filed. 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. The group was largely found in Mississippi and Louisiana, and was named for their practice of identifying themselves by carrying a silver dollar. No one was ever arrested for the . That continues today, and even now.. Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a. 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. Donnie. The SDG regularly committed arson, bombings, and murder. The suspects are identified as Jimmy ONeal Lewis and Cedric Tennessee. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? For years, David Whatley has wondered how men can be so motivated by hate. Frank Morris (19141964) was an American businessman who died as a result of arson to his shoe shop in Ferriday, Louisiana, a city with a history of racial violence. 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. Some members of local law enforcement, including Concordia Parish Sheriff Department deputies Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden, were members of the Silver Dollar Group. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office was called to the home at around 8:47 a.m. that morning, he said. Later, he was transported to the parish courthouse jail in Vidalia. We spent all those years hating each other for reasons we dont know, Whatley said. The Natchez-Adams School District released the following statement: Mr. The sheriffs office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. 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. 4/23/2021 7:14 AM PT. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. 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. A Ferriday man shot a Vidalia woman before killing himself with the same gun Tuesday afternoon in Ferriday. As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin's two-toned. Warrants have been signed for a Ferriday man who allegedly shot and killed another Ferriday man early Saturday morning in Ferriday. 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 . Courtesy of the Concordia Sentinel and William Brown [according to whom?] Published: Sep. 11, 2019 at 7:15 PM PDT. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. The 2020 Ferriday crime rate rose by 14% compared to 2019. He said anyone who wants to resolve racial injustices and divisions should do so legally, rather than violently. Battered and ostracized while he attended Ferriday High, Whatley would go on to serve in Vietnam. 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. When Theriot arrived at the home, deputies were already there. 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. (WLBT) - According to Gray station KNOE, authorities in Concordia Parish, Louisiana are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. Police say the bodies were found just before 2:30 p.m. at a home on Johnson Street. (KNOE) - Authorities are investigating what they believe to be a murder-suicide in Concordia Parish. In December 1964, Frank Morris' shoe shop was set ablaze in the middle of the night. hide caption. Ferriday, La. Morris opened Frank's Shoes Service in the late 1930s, in his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana. Dec 16, 2020. Mr. McCrays zeal for education, infectious smile, gentle personality, fashion sense, and love for children will be missed by all of us at Natchez-Adams School District. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. The group is also suspected in the disappearance . "We've got a better picture on how this happened. Ferriday police responded to shots fired at approximately noon Sunday and found a man deceased with gunshot wounds upon their arrival. One unique feature of the Ferriday Deacons was that they had what Whatley called the Junior Deacons League, composed of a half dozen teenagers. 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. All games are FREE. 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. They quickly gave chase, pursuing the yellow Pontiac for several miles before Duncan watched their headlights start fading away. IE 11 is not supported. FERRIDAY, La. CPSO says upon arrival, they found two bodies with fatal gunshot wounds. 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. 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. 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. "We dont know if we will ever have a motive exactly why this happened.". Two WHARBOM informants also reported information regarding the murder of Morris, and the FBI reopened the Morris investigation in August 1967. 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. [2] A few days after the arson, the informant was approached by Morace who stated that if "he, Jones, Torgersen, and Scarborough were arrested, the source should get them out of jail". The City of Ferriday hit a dead end with the case, and the sheriff's Department expressed no interest in taking it over.[6]. Nelson interviewed witnesses to uncover unknown facts and haunting recollections about the racially-motivated murders around Ferriday. The state of Mississippi in the Jim Crow era was infamous for racially-fueled lynchings. Authorities in Louisiana will seek to extradite Theriot from Virginia, Webre said. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Justice may finally be served, thanks to the reporting of Stanley Nelson of the weekly Concordia Sentinel. All games are FREE. "[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. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear," Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said at the news conference. Police say it happened on Johnson Street around 5 p.m. Lewis later told the Concordia Sentinel that it was a dreaded thing for a black man to be placed into a police car and taken to jail. Lets do it intellectually not forcefully, Whatley said. No one was hurt during the arrest, Ard said. 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. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. Were still trying to piece together all of the details as to what transpired, King said. Much like the Morris case, witness accounts were not corroborating, and in August 1968, the investigation was closed. 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. [6] Ferriday Police officer William Howell Harp Jr. alleged that Morris was a bootlegger and sold narcotics. [2] The FBI investigators believed that Morris knew his attackers, but was unwilling to divulge their identities. . Copyright 2019 WLBT. FERRIDAY, La. [4] Multiple disappearances and murders in the Natchez, Mississippi, area were connected to both the KKK and the SDG. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. We were able to get a dying declaration from the dad before he expired, Webre said. 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 sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. 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. A local black teacher claimed that after the arson, a rumor was spreading that Morris was facilitating interracial liaisons. [3] Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. Every journalism student in America should be making a pilgrimage to Ferriday, Louisiana, on this date to sit at the feet of and learn from Stanley Nelson, 59-year-old Editor of the Concordia Sentinel, a small weekly newspaper (circulation about 5,000) that serves up mostly local news, wedding announcements, obituaries and sports to the residents of 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. The Deacons connection to churches inspired the groups name. The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations is currently investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place in Ferriday on Sunday night. 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. READ:George Floyds killing resurrects nightmares for families of civil rights martyrs. Once arrested himself on a false claim and held in the local jail for two weeks, Whatley said a primary function of the Ferriday Deacons was to protest the unlawful arrests of local black men. All rights reserved. Once their mission was complete, members quietly returned to their modest lives.

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