Civil rights workers murdered

KKK Murders 3 Civil Rights Workers

By Matt West

  • Murder

    Murder
    On June 21, 1964, KKK member / Sheriff, Cecil Price, pulled over civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Chaney for "speeding". They were kept in a cell until other KKK members were ready to follow them. KKK leader Edgar Ray Killen, the mastermind behind the murder plot, got other Klan members together to follow them in cars. Once the three civil rights workers were released, they were hunted down into the woods and shot.

  • Civil Rights Act

    Civil Rights Act
    On July 2, 1964, the Civil Rights Act was put into place. It eliminated Jim Crow laws and pushed towards racial unity.

  • Bodies Found

    Bodies Found
    On August 4, 1964, the bodies of the three civil rights workers were found buried in a partially finished dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi.

  • Arrest

    Arrest
    On December 4, 1964, 19 men that were involved in the conspiracy were charged with violating the civil rights of the three victims.

  • First Dismissal

    First Dismissal
    6 days after the 19 men were arrested, the corrupt Neshoba county judicial system dismisses the men.

  • Second Arrest

    Second Arrest
    Since Neshoba county's judicial system refused to convict anyone, the judicial system in Jackson, Mississippi stepped up to the plate. The court arrested the 19 men again.

  • Second Dismissal

    Second Dismissal
    On February 26, 1965, District Court Judge William Cox dismisses the charges given to the 19 klan members.

  • Third Arrest

    Third Arrest
    After the 19 men had been dismissed from their charges again, the US supreme court finally stepped in to indict the klansmen that Judge Cox removed the charges from.

  • Third Dismissal

    Third Dismissal
    On October 7, 1966, Judge Cox dismissed the indictments again.

  • Federal Grand Jury Steps In

    Federal Grand Jury Steps In
    Judge Cox is overruled and on February 28, 1967, the Federal Grand Jury indicts the 19 men again.

  • 7 Men Convicted

    7 Men Convicted
    On October 20, 1967, 7 of the 19 men were convicted of violating the rights of the 3 victims.

  • Edgar Ray Killen Convicted

    Edgar Ray Killen Convicted
    It wasn't until June 21, 2005, the anniversary of the murders, that the main conspirator, Edgar Ray Killen, was convicted on three manslaughter counts. He is currently serving a 60-year sentence in Mississippi State Penitentiary.