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Authorities in Concordia Parish say they are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. Ferriday, La. Come nightfall, hed study his lessons by a spotlight illuminating his grandmothers lawn while keeping watch for violent Klansmen enraged over his involvement in the civil rights movement. I hate it for him and his family. [2] During this investigation, the FBI re-interviewed the living witnesses who had first-hand information about the arson, as well as "family members, business owners and neighbors in the vicinity of the shoe shop, law enforcement officers, community members, and former KKK members". The suspect had been living with the Ernest family for a couple of weeks before the killings, Ard has said. 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. Ard has said that Theriot left the Ernests' home in Livingston Parish in Billy Ernests pickup truck on the morning of the killings and that he was in the same vehicle when he was arrested in Virginia. He said the bureau concluded that if the bombs two sticks of blasting powder would have ignited, the house might have been destroyed. They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. [2] Morris entered a coma two days later, and died on December14. [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. Minutes later, he, not his attackers, was arrested. In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects. According to authorities, McCray was a teacher in Natchez with two degrees. 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. 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. Later that week, Morace called the informant saying that, "The rabbit hunt is off forget about it". Two killed in Ferriday | KTVE - myarklamiss.com Louisiana shooting suspect Dakota Theriot captured. The state of Mississippi in the Jim Crow era was infamous for racially-fueled lynchings. "So, this is a monster.". They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. 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. The preliminary investigation concluded that Morris had not been involved in any racially motivated activities. The group is believed to have had only some twenty members. He said anyone who wants to resolve racial injustices and divisions should do so legally, rather than violently. Murder of Frank Morris - Wikipedia He would return home wounded physically and confounded mentally over how he could have been considered good enough to risk his life for his country in Vietnam but not good enough to attend the local high school. 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. 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. When Jones was interviewed on September22, he stated that "if he was arrested for this crime, officers also would have to arrest DeLaughter". A black businessman was burned to death in tiny Ferriday, La., in 1964. Klansmen took advantage of this, throwing a bomb just outside Whatleys bedroom window. Two killed in Ferriday . The newspapers the bourbon was wrapped in had no signs of burning, indicating tampering with the scene. When Lewis was released after serving two weeks, Whatley and Antonne Duncan were part of a Deacon team organized to get him home safely. 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. 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. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. Our effort here, as it is everywhere, is to try and uncover the truth. [2] Morace requested that Klan members from Mississippi "give him a beating". 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. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. 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. Lets do it intellectually not forcefully, Whatley said. In the last 5 years Ferriday has seen decreasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. 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. All games are FREE. Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. In three interviews conducted by FBI investigators, Morris stated that "he saw a man pouring gasoline around the place [] another man had a shotgun and told him 'to get back in there, nigger'". Ferriday Police investigating suspected murder-suicide FERRIDAY, La. All rights reserved. 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. Whatley said it was important for Deacons and activists to demand change in lawful yet effectiveways during the civil rights era, and he said that still holds true for the nationwide protests against police abuses today. Officials had said that Theriot was believed to have been Summers boyfriend, but her family strongly denies that they were dating. Two charged with murder after Natchez teacher killed in - KNOE 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. 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. Blacks also became deputies and police officers. On December 10, 1964, two unidentified white men set fire to the shoe repair shop owned by Frank Morris. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. His father, Sullivan, operated a shoe shop in Natchez, Mississippi. The investigation revealed new allegations that local police officers were tampering with the investigation by threatening witnesses. Read full article on original website. The group is also suspected in the disappearance . As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear," Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said at the news conference. Later that week, officers Frank DeLaughter and Bill Ogden intimidated Kelly and forced him out of town. 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. Concordia Parish had 14 recorded racially-motivated murders between 1964 and 1967.[4]. 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. All rights reserved. "We dont know if we will ever have a motive exactly why this happened.". He was able to escape the shop but sustained burns on 100% of his body. 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. 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. Upon their arrival, the bodies of Mark Clark, 65, and Donna Clark, 49, of Ferriday, were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds. 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. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Louisiana State University Press, 2016. "As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear.". 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. In his first year of teaching at Morgantown, Mr. McCray was named the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. The City of Ferriday hit a dead end with the case, and the sheriff's Department expressed no interest in taking it over.[6]. No subscription required to play. Morris, a black man who had . Police say it happened on Johnson Street around 5 p.m. Authorities in Louisiana will seek to extradite Theriot from Virginia, Webre said. 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. Autopsies for Theriots parents were scheduled for Tuesday, Webre said. [2], On August 3, 1967, a confidential informant, who was a high-ranking officer of the KKK, told the FBI that a few days prior to the Morris arson, E.D. Morace approached the informant regarding an African American, referred to as "Old Frank", whom Morace said "had been flirtatious with white women". 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. 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. David Whatley, who was a CORE member himself while a student at Ferriday High School, confirmed in a recent interview that the Ferriday Deacons were armed. [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. According to police, the man shot his girlfriend and then shot himself. One unique feature of the Ferriday Deacons was that they had what Whatley called the Junior Deacons League, composed of a half dozen teenagers. Soon, Lewis was back in his Ferriday home and reunited with his wife and children. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin's two-toned. . He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. 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". "1970 Census: Population & Housing, Procedural History", "Cold Case: Silver Dollar Group linked to attacks Edwards, Morris, Jackson, Metcalfe", "Wharlest Jackson - Notice to Close File", "Cold Case: Silver Dollar Group Linked to Attacks Edwards, Morris, Jackson, Metcalfe, List of lynching victims in the United States, William "Froggie" James and Henry Salzner, Elijah Frost, Abijah Gibson, Tom McCracken, Thomas Moss, Henry Stewart, Calvin McDowell (TN), Thomas Harold Thurmond and John M. Holmes, Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charles Eddie Moore, Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching, Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, National Museum of African American History and Culture, "The United States of Lyncherdom" (Twain), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Frank_Morris&oldid=1147937870, December 1964 events in the United States, Racially motivated violence against African Americans, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from February 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2019, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from July 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Donnie Sanders III, 24, is charged with second-degree murder. The Natchez-Adams School District said he taught 8th grade at Morgantown Middle School. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. We expect more arrests to be made in relation to this case. [6] Although people generally thought highly of Morris, black residents thought Morris was too shocking to white residents. Natchez Democrat. The building was burned down in the early morning of December 10, 1964. During the 1960s, the area was a strictly segregated society. Authorities say they have given full confessions and are both charged with murder. 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. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. Part 1:A half-century ago in Jonesboro, armed black men fought back. All games are FREE. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. 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. "Weve got a better picture on how this happened," the sheriff said of the five killings. 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. According to the sheriff's office, it happened on June 23, 2019, in the. Cops are investigating a double shooting -- including one fatality -- in the now-famous L.A. neighborhood where the movie "Friday" was filmed. [2] In 2008, the FBI, through local media, informed the public that they were offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the Morris case. So when there was a problem, there was a way of communicating to them what was going on.. When Theriot arrived at the home, deputies were already there. The sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. Two charged with murder after Natchez Teacher of the Year killed in La. The suspects are identified as Jimmy ONeal Lewis and Cedric Tennessee. FERRIDAY, La. We worked into the night (Sunday). 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. James Poissot of Baton Rouge never knew his father, but knew he was a violent man who beat James' mother so severely . 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. 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". Kelly later told Rosa Williams, Morris's granddaughter, "I know what happened to your grandfather You don't have to look no further than the police department. Morris had a shoe repair shop in Ferriday, and died after his shoe repair shop was burned. Man shoots woman, kills himself | Crime | hannapub.com Morris was taken to the hospital by two Ferriday police officers and was able to speak to FBI investigators. "We don't really know what the motive is," Ard said. Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a. (See pages 14-16 of this PDF.). 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. 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. Law officials said deputies responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 9:30 p.m. at the 3000 block of U.S. 569 on Lake Saint John. Warrants have been signed for a Ferriday man who allegedly shot and killed another Ferriday man early Saturday morning in Ferriday. Stanley Nelson is editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, Louisiana. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday - NewsBreak -- 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. According to FBI documents, Ferriday Deacons included David Whatley, Leo Graham, Victor Graham, Herman Brown, Levado Brown, Richard Thompson, Samuel White, Frank Fleming, James Fleming, Fred Brown, Shine Calhoun, Stafford Redvine, FNU Jones, Anthony Lucky McCraney, Simon Smith, Antonne Duncan, Lionel Hooper, Vernon Smith, Anthony White, Joe Davis, Jeffrey Scott, Mack Moore and Johnny Lloyd. Much like the Morris case, witness accounts were not corroborating, and in August 1968, the investigation was closed. 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. Frank Morris Historical Marker Before those killings, Dakota Theriot allegedly killed Summer Ernest, 20, her father Billy Ernest, 43, and her brother, Tanner Ernest, 17. 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. Sons of KKK members haunted by sins of their fathers - The Daily Advertiser The FBI concluded the investigation in 2016 when investigators determined there was insufficient evidence to charge any individual with any federal crimes; furthermore, important witnesses, suspects, and informants were dead. (WLBT) - According to Gray station KNOE, authorities in Concordia Parish, Louisiana are investigating the murder of a man recently named Teacher of the Year. The Deacons were unlike any such group before or since. Like many Southern crimes against blacks in the 1960s -- an era of racial strife dominated by criminal activities by the Ku Klux Klan -- the incident went unsolved, despite an FBI investigation at the time. As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. "[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. 0. 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. 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. The Silver Dollar Group (SDG) was a violent and exceptionally militant Klan offshoot that operated in Adams County between 1964 and 1967. 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. 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. He was also named 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. Courtesy of the Concordia Sentinel and William Brown Solving A 1964 Cold Case: Mystery Of Frank Morris : NPR Harp's new information regarding Morris shed doubt on the story concerning DeLaughter. 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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. 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. Morris, in particular, is featured in this text. 2021-09-07. 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 group is also suspected in the disappearance and murder of an African American employee of the Shamrock Motel, Joseph Edwards. Updated: Aug 18, 2021 / 01:29 PM CDT. Nelson interviewed witnesses to uncover unknown facts and haunting recollections about the racially-motivated murders around Ferriday. 4/23/2021 7:14 AM PT. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considered the SDG to be a highly-dangerous domestic terror cell, and conducted multiple investigations into its activities. Jonesboro Deacon and evangelist preacher Frederick Douglas Kirkpatrick told the FBI they chose to call the group the Deacons because that indicated it was for the good of all people. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. 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. "By the time the neighbors called 911, the incident in Ascension was already happening," Ard said. There have been allegations of witness intimidation, evidence tampering, and involvement by local law enforcement. Nelson published the story Wednesday morning outlining the the allegations against Spencer. The sheriff's office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there . The Deacons connection to churches inspired the groups name. Violent Klansmen had long been embedded with corrupt cops, some of whom wore robes themselves. We will continue to update this story with more information as it develops. CPSO says upon arrival, they found two bodies with fatal gunshot wounds. Louisiana journalist pursuing KKK killers across time - USA Today