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. Silver Dollar Group - Wikipedia 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. 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. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. Morris, a black man who had . 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. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Blacks also became deputies and police officers. 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. The group was largely found in Mississippi and Louisiana, and was named for their practice of identifying themselves by carrying a silver dollar. This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 04:13. (WLBT) - According to Gray station KNOE, authorities in Concordia Parish, Louisiana are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. 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. Ferriday policemen, including "DeLaughter, Bill Ogden, and Ferriday Police Chief Bob Warren", had ordered an unidentified witness to "keep his mouth shut", and later told him to "get out of town". In his first year of teaching at Morgantown, Mr. McCray was named the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. UPDATE: Joint investigation leads to arrest of Ferriday man involved in The following day Morris's shop was attacked. Dakota Theriot, 21, fled to his grandmothers house in Virginia after the killings in Ascension and Livingston parishes Saturday morning, and he was arrested Sunday outside his grandmother's home by deputies who were already there, authorities have said. Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. The state of Mississippi in the Jim Crow era was infamous for racially-fueled lynchings. There were rumors of Morris being romantically involved with the wife of a white man, and after the arson, the white couple soon left town. Jeff Davis 8: The True Story of the 'Murder in the Bayou' Killings Upon their arrival, the bodies of Mark Clark, 65, and Donna Clark, 49, of Ferriday, were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds. The population of Adams County was split roughly in half between blacks and whites. 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. On December 10, 1964, two unidentified white men set fire to the shoe repair shop owned by Frank Morris. CPSO officials said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and there are no suspects at large. [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". We expect more arrests to be made in relation to this case. 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. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. [according to whom?] It was higher than in 73.6% U.S. cities. The group is also suspected in the disappearance . Ferriday Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide that happened Wednesday afternoon. Frank Morris was a 51-year-old black businessman in Ferriday who ran a shoe shop and repair store, where he served both black and white customers. 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. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. Morris was interviewed three times; however, he was heavily medicated. Some members of local law enforcement, including Concordia Parish Sheriff Department deputies Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden, were members of the Silver Dollar Group. [6] Although people generally thought highly of Morris, black residents thought Morris was too shocking to white residents. In December 1964, Frank Morris' shoe shop was set ablaze in the middle of the night. [5] Jackson had recently been promoted to a position never before held by an African American. That was not the only time Whatley helped an imprisoned black man in Ferriday. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. They quickly gave chase, pursuing the yellow Pontiac for several miles before Duncan watched their headlights start fading away. 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. Police said the weapon used the shooting was a .45 caliber pistol. The dismantlement was due to several reasons, including the broader enforcement of civil rights laws, the progression of the Vietnam War and the election of blacks to school boards, town councils and police juries. 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. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . No one was hurt during the arrest, Ard said. James Poissot of Baton Rouge never knew his father, but knew he was a violent man who beat James' mother so severely . [2] The informant, fearing for his life, did not share this information with the FBI until two years after the arson. Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. No one was ever arrested for the . Ferriday police chief: Two arrests made in Sunday afternoon killing in "We dont know if we will ever have a motive exactly why this happened.". The 2020 Ferriday crime rate rose by 14% compared to 2019. McCray dutifully taught Technology Foundations and also served as Assistant Test Coordinator. Concordia Parish authorities 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. 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. Harp and colleagues also found a "slightly scorched" suitcase filled with fourteen and a half pints of bourbon. Stanley Nelson is editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, Louisiana. 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. 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. Their only protection came from the Deacons, he said. The newspapers the bourbon was wrapped in had no signs of burning, indicating tampering with the scene. Six decades after a Louisiana man's disappearance and presumed murder, his family is still looking for answers and a body to bury. According to authorities, McCray was a teacher in Natchez with two degrees. 2 People Shot in L.A. Neighborhood Where 'Friday' Was Filmed - TMZ FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. 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. By Sabrina Simms Robertson. Every murder is a senseless murder and this one certainly fits those criteria. All games are FREE. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Despite the damage the bomb caused to his home and the threat it posed to his family, Lewis was handcuffed by Ferriday police and charged with aggravated assault, according to FBI and CORE documents. Frank Morris Historical Marker Donnie. 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. DOJ names suspects; closes 1964 case, "Americas | US man in 1964 race attack charge", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silver_Dollar_Group&oldid=1151221382, Racially motivated violence against African Americans, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 17:09. (KNOE) - Authorities are investigating what they believe to be a murder-suicide in Concordia Parish. "We've got a better picture on how this happened. 2021-09-07. Nelson interviewed witnesses to uncover unknown facts and haunting recollections about the racially-motivated murders around Ferriday. Nelson published the story Wednesday morning outlining the the allegations against Spencer. We were able to get a dying declaration from the dad before he expired, Webre said. Their assistance was invaluable and their response in working this case with us, he said. 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 . He was also named 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. A local black teacher claimed that after the arson, a rumor was spreading that Morris was facilitating interracial liaisons. 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. Authorities in Louisiana will seek to extradite Theriot from Virginia, Webre said. They met weekly and conducted all-night patrols. On 50th anniversary of Ferriday civil rights killing - Louisiana Voice CONCORDIA PARISH, La. Duncan was at the wheel, and when they reached the tracks with Lewis in the car, they bolted past Klansmen waiting there. 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. The sheriff's office said the suspect allegedly pointed a gun out the window of his vehicle causing deputies to seek cover, and that he was ordered to drop his weapon and was arrested without incident. There were two children, ages 1 and 7, in the Ernests home when the killing occurred, but they were unharmed and eventually went to a neighbors home for help, Ard said. Autopsies for Theriots parents were scheduled for Tuesday, Webre said. Frank Morris's mother, Charlotte, died shortly after his birth. Police say the bodies were found just before 2:30 p.m. at a home on Johnson Street. [2] Scarborough, while under investigation for both Jackson's and Morris's murders, denied any involvement, stating that "every time something happens to a Negro it is immediately blamed on white people. No charges have been brought despite three FBI investigations. One unique feature of the Ferriday Deacons was that they had what Whatley called the Junior Deacons League, composed of a half dozen teenagers. We spent all those years hating each other for reasons we dont know, Whatley said. FERRIDAY, La. His daily tasks included repairing shoes and saddles, selling jewellery, hats, and clothing, and dyeing purses. Ferriday police responded to shots fired at approximately noon Sunday and found a man deceased with gunshot wounds upon their arrival. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. 0. 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. The Silver Dollar Group (SDG) was a violent and exceptionally militant Klan offshoot that operated in Adams County between 1964 and 1967. Cold Case: James Ford Seale: A sheriff's election, nine deaths and a silver dollar, Cold Case: Who killed Joseph Edwards? 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? That drew the ire of Klansmen, and three months later, some of them snuck up to his house and threw a gasoline bomb at it. Lets do it intellectually not forcefully, Whatley said. Frank Morris fathered one child, and had two grandchildren. The Deacons came to life solely to protect their communities and others victimized by Klansmen and police. [2] Morace requested that Klan members from Mississippi "give him a beating". Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. Officials had said that Theriot was believed to have been Summers boyfriend, but her family strongly denies that they were dating. [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. ", "We know what happened here. When Jones was interviewed on September22, he stated that "if he was arrested for this crime, officers also would have to arrest DeLaughter". "By the time the neighbors called 911, the incident in Ascension was already happening," Ard said. "As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear.". When the group began to phase out in Ferriday and the other towns by 1966, the FBI stopped keeping close tabs on the Deacons. Justice may finally be served, thanks to the reporting of Stanley Nelson of the weekly Concordia Sentinel. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. ", Courtesy of the Concordia Sentinel and William Brown, Concorida Sentinel: Rayville Man Implicated In Morris Case, Concordia Sentinel: Feds Vow To Solve Morris Murder, Civil Rights Cold Case Project: Frank Morris Case, Civil Rights Cold Case Project: Frank Morris Case Archives, 2010 Report: Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. Young pilot killed in small-plane crash in Catahoula Parish - The News-Star 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. The FBI opened a full investigation into his murder due to its civil rights implications, as Jackson was treasurer of the local chapter of the NAACP. Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a. For his work on the Frank Morris case, he was a finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting and a recipient this year of the University of Oregon's Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism and the Louisiana State University Manship School Courage and Justice . [1] The group formed in 1964 at the Shamrock Motor Hotel in Vidalia, Louisiana by Raleigh Jackson "Red" Glover,[2] amidst dissatisfaction at the lack of forceful action by Klan groups in the region. Klansmen took advantage of this, throwing a bomb just outside Whatleys bedroom window. No one was ever arrested for the killing. Man shoots woman, kills himself | Crime | hannapub.com Police say it happened on Johnson Street around 5 p.m. Klansmen had learned that McCraney was a member of a secret organization of black activists, the Deacons for Defense and Justice. Our sincere condolences are offered to his family, friends, and coworkers.. I hate it for him and his family. Courtesy of the Concordia Sentinel and William Brown King said the investigation is still ongoing and more arrests are anticipated. Harp described Morris as an alcoholic and had two confrontations with him during 19631965, as well as a small argument outside of the courthouse. 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. FERRIDAY, La. A preliminary FBI investigation began immediately after the arson; its goal was to "determine if any federal laws had been violated, specifically whether Morris had been involved in voter registration or other civil rights activities and whether any subjects had connections to any racist organizations. The expiry of the grand jury looking into the civil rights era murder of Frank Morris in the small town of Ferriday, Louisiana, has prompted expressions of anger and frustration from those . He said the bureau concluded that if the bombs two sticks of blasting powder would have ignited, the house might have been destroyed. Morris, in particular, is featured in this text. FERRIDAY, La. FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriffs Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. Louisiana State University Press, 2016. According to LSP,. [citation needed], Ferriday is located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from Adams County, Mississippi. Before those killings, Dakota Theriot allegedly killed Summer Ernest, 20, her father Billy Ernest, 43, and her brother, Tanner Ernest, 17. [3][4], In 2007, Silver Dollar Group member James Ford Seale was charged and convicted for the May 1964 kidnapping of Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore, two African-American young men in Meadville, Mississippi.[5]. The Silver Dollar Group was an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan white nationalist terrorist group, composed of cells that took up violent actions to support Klan goals. Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. [2] After one of the subjects lit a match, the shop caught fire; Morris was still present in the building. The sheriff said Theriot is cooperating with the investigation. "We don't really know what the motive is," Ard said. Crime rate in Ferriday, LA - City-Data Part 1:A half-century ago in Jonesboro, armed black men fought back. A Ferriday man shot a Vidalia woman before killing himself with the same gun Tuesday afternoon in Ferriday. The sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. 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. Lewis raced outside with a shotgun. Louisiana shooting suspect Dakota Theriot captured. 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. Ferriday, La. The sheriff's office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there . Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. [according to whom?] "[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. The suspect had been living with the Ernest family for a couple of weeks before the killings, Ard has said. Check out these great suggestions. 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. He said anyone who wants to resolve racial injustices and divisions should do so legally, rather than violently. The sheriffs office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. Murder of Frank Morris - Wikipedia During the 1960s, the area was a strictly segregated society. Luckily, only the detonator exploded, not the bomb itself, sparing the family from tragedy. Warrant issued in Ferriday killing - Hanna Newspapers Wed march on the jail. 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. Later that week, officers Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden intimidated Kelly and forced him out of town. "We just know what he did. Violent Klansmen had long been embedded with corrupt cops, some of whom wore robes themselves. 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. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory - the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris. In the last 5 years Ferriday has seen decreasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. More history:Woman works to preserve Bogalusa home turned headquarters of civil rights group. At approximately 1:00a.m., Morris was awakened in a back room of the shop by the sound of glass breaking. 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. 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. When Lewis was released after serving two weeks, Whatley and Antonne Duncan were part of a Deacon team organized to get him home safely. Morris was taken to the hospital by two Ferriday police officers and was able to speak to FBI investigators. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. [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. FERRIDAY, La. 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. Frank Morris (1914-1964) 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. Later that week, Morace called the informant saying that, "The rabbit hunt is off forget about it". They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. We believe there had been some type of verbal altercation from maybe an ongoing dispute. Our effort here, as it is everywhere, is to try and uncover the truth. The preliminary investigation concluded that Morris had not been involved in any racially motivated activities. Until now, the case has gone unsolved. The creation of the Deacons groups is outlined in a 606-page FBI file released through the Freedom of Information Act to the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Cold Case Project, which investigates Klan activities. 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. With five children at home, Lewis kept the weapon unloaded. "He has confessed to killing the five victims," Ard said. 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. [1][pageneeded] The shop was also his residence. 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". An identified suspect had also fired a shotgun into the home of Junious "Tee-Wee" Kelly after Kelly had witnessed the arson. 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. They also stated that Morace described a battery-powered device which could "spray five gallons of gasoline in five minutes". Soon, Lewis was back in his Ferriday home and reunited with his wife and children. Still inside at the time, Morris was severely injured; he died four days later at a nearby hospital in Ferriday, La. The suspects are identified as Jimmy ONeal Lewis and Cedric Tennessee. Read full article on original website. After a false KKK rumor that he had flirted with. This business serviced both black and white customers. "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.". [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. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. 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. The group is also suspected in the disappearance and murder of an African American employee of the Shamrock Motel, Joseph Edwards. Theriot then allegedly went to Ascension Parish were he killed his parents, and then fled.

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