Who Killed Frank Morris? - Nieman Reports [according to whom?] -- 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. 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. 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. Police say it happened on Johnson Street around 5 p.m. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available. 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. Webre said that Theirots wounded father called 911 to report the shootings in Ascension Parish. 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 . 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. 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. "Cold Case: Morris' Granddaughter Says FBI $10,000 Reward Gives Her New Hope". Solving A 1964 Cold Case: Mystery Of Frank Morris : NPR "Weve got a better picture on how this happened," the sheriff said of the five killings. He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. 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. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. Two WHARBOM informants also reported information regarding the murder of Morris, and the FBI reopened the Morris investigation in August 1967. 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. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. More history:Woman works to preserve Bogalusa home turned headquarters of civil rights group. The group is also suspected in the disappearance and murder of an African American employee of the Shamrock Motel, Joseph Edwards. "We are actively, as we speak involved in this investigation. All games are FREE. Luckily, only the detonator exploded, not the bomb itself, sparing the family from tragedy. The population of Adams County was split roughly in half between blacks and whites. CPSO investigates two shooting deaths on Lake St. John 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. Nelson, Stanley. Juvenile triple-murderer back in court 10 years later The shop was very successful and was known by the tag line, "Open every day and half the night", in its ads in the Concordia Sentinel. Read full article on original website. More:Sons of Klansmen tied to Louisiana murder haunted by sins of their fathers. Donnie. 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. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. CPSO says upon arrival, they found two bodies with fatal gunshot wounds. [2] Morace requested that Klan members from Mississippi "give him a beating". 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. According to investigators, on the night of the murder Frederick McCray Jr. gave a ride to the two suspects. According to the sheriff's office, it happened on June 23, 2019, in the. 2 People Shot in L.A. Neighborhood Where 'Friday' Was Filmed - TMZ 21-year-old Louisiana man confesses to killing his parents and three in Ferriday teen arrested for 2nd Degree Murder - myarklamiss.com On February 27, 1967, Wharlest Jackson, an employee at Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company in Natchez, Mississippi, was killed when a bomb exploded under the hood of his car while he was driving home. 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. According to LSP,. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Natchez Democrat. 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. No charges have been brought despite three FBI investigations. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. The group was largely found in Mississippi and Louisiana, and was named for their practice of identifying themselves by carrying a silver dollar. Every murder is a senseless murder and this one certainly fits those criteria. 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. 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. He said anyone who wants to resolve racial injustices and divisions should do so legally, rather than violently. 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. Failure to solve Ku Klux Klan-linked murder prompts anger, 47 years on "We just know what he did. Theriot then allegedly went to Ascension Parish were he killed his parents, and then fled. FERRIDAY Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office deputies investigated two shooting deaths in the area of Lake St. John Sunday night. 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". 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. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. Still inside at the time, Morris was severely injured; he died four days later at a nearby hospital in Ferriday, La. 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. Part 3:In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation. Blacks also became deputies and police officers. As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear," Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said at the news conference. Nelson, Stanley. The sheriffs office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. 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. Wed walk nights with rifles on our shoulders like you would see in some foreign countries, Whatley said. 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. Battered and ostracized while he attended Ferriday High, Whatley would go on to serve in Vietnam. When Lewis was released after serving two weeks, Whatley and Antonne Duncan were part of a Deacon team organized to get him home safely. All rights reserved. Man shoots woman, kills himself | Crime | hannapub.com They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. ", "We know what happened here. 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. [3] Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. By Sabrina Simms Robertson. 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. Their only protection came from the Deacons, he said. 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. UPDATE: Joint investigation leads to arrest of Ferriday man involved in Officials had said that Theriot was believed to have been Summers boyfriend, but her family strongly denies that they were dating. Six decades after a Louisiana man's disappearance and presumed murder, his family is still looking for answers and a body to bury. His father, Sullivan, operated a shoe shop in Natchez, Mississippi. Sons of KKK members haunted by sins of their fathers - The Daily Advertiser (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 . Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s. [2] Three new subjects were identified, but the investigators did not uncover any credible physical evidence supporting the allegations. Their assistance was invaluable and their response in working this case with us, he said. Later that week, Morace called the informant saying that, "The rabbit hunt is off forget about it". [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. 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. The group is also suspected in the disappearance . For years, David Whatley has wondered how men can be so motivated by hate. FERRIDAY, La. 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. McCray dutifully taught Technology Foundations and also served as Assistant Test Coordinator. Harp described Morris as an alcoholic and had two confrontations with him during 19631965, as well as a small argument outside of the courthouse. 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. (KNOE) - Authorities are investigating what they believe to be a murder-suicide in Concordia Parish. Minutes later, he, not his attackers, was arrested. In December 1964, Frank Morris' shoe shop was set ablaze in the middle of the night. They also stated that Morace described a battery-powered device which could "spray five gallons of gasoline in five minutes". The Natchez-Adams School District said he taught 8th grade at Morgantown Middle School. Robert Lewis, whose home was bombed by Klansmen, drew inspiration from the sacrifices of the CORE workers. As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. Violent Klansmen had long been embedded with corrupt cops, some of whom wore robes themselves. The late Sammy Davis Jr. no relation to the famous entertainer was elected Ferridays first black mayor in 1984. [2] The FBI had received information that local law enforcement officials had been involved. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . When Theriot arrived at the home, deputies were already there. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. The sheriff's office said the incident happened on June 23 in the Ferriday area in northeast Louisiana. In 2007, Ridgen published a documentary for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that led to the federal trial and conviction of Seale, for the 43-year-old murder of African-Americans Henry Hezekiah and Charles Eddie Moore, two 19-year-olds from the Meadville, Miss., area. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin's two-toned. The main force that we had was marches, he said. 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 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. Authorities in Concordia Parish say they are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. 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. Upon their arrival, the bodies of Mark Clark, 65, and Donna Clark, 49, of Ferriday, were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds. 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. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. All rights reserved. Much like the Morris case, witness accounts were not corroborating, and in August 1968, the investigation was closed. Part 2:In Bogalusa, the Deacons fought violence with violence. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. We worked into the night (Sunday). In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects.
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