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". This went on month after month while I was in this school system.. Looking for something special to get your mom for Mothers Day? As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear," Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said at the news conference. 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 . This page was last edited on 3 April 2023, at 04:13. 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 Deacons connection to churches inspired the groups name. I hate it for him and his family. Devils Walking: Klan Murders along the Mississippi in the 1960s. FERRIDAY, La. ", "We know what happened here. 2021-09-07. 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 FERRIDAY, La. The Natchez-Adams School District said he taught 8th grade at Morgantown Middle School. King thanked Concordia Parish Sheriffs Office and its deputies who worked jointly with Ferriday Police in this investigation, he said. He was able to escape the shop but sustained burns on 100% of his body. Part 3:In Homer, the Deacons defied Willie Rainachs segregation. No one was ever arrested for the killing. 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. FERRIDAY, La. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [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". Before those killings, Dakota Theriot allegedly killed Summer Ernest, 20, her father Billy Ernest, 43, and her brother, Tanner Ernest, 17. Dec 16, 2020. Two WHARBOM informants also reported information regarding the murder of Morris, and the FBI reopened the Morris investigation in August 1967. [6] Although people generally thought highly of Morris, black residents thought Morris was too shocking to white residents. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. Justice may finally be served, thanks to the reporting of Stanley Nelson of the weekly Concordia Sentinel. All rights reserved. They handed out flyers and leaflets to local congregations and spoke at churches. [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 Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office (CPSO) is leading the investigation into the shooting at 106 Gremillion Street. The newspapers the bourbon was wrapped in had no signs of burning, indicating tampering with the scene. [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. Two killed in Ferriday . 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. 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. The Department of Justice and the FBI say they are conducting ongoing investigations into the Morris case. 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. Ferriday, La. 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. [2] The FBI had received information that local law enforcement officials had been involved. "He has confessed to killing the five victims," Ard said. 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. CPSO officials said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and there are no suspects at large. 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. The building was burned down in the early morning of December 10, 1964. A 20-year-old male and 26-year-old female were killed by apparent gunshot wounds. So when there was a problem, there was a way of communicating to them what was going on.. 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. The group is also suspected in the disappearance . For years, David Whatley has wondered how men can be so motivated by hate. 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. Virginia online court records do not list an attorney for Theriot. "We dont know if we will ever have a motive exactly why this happened.". 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. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris. The suspect had been living with the Ernest family for a couple of weeks before the killings, Ard has said. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. In a report from the Concordi 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". According to police, the man shot his girlfriend and then shot himself. Wed walk nights with rifles on our shoulders like you would see in some foreign countries, Whatley said. 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. He told the FBI in 1965 that though he was not a member, Deacons had sought his advice and counsel. 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. Morris told the FBI that the men were from Natchez, Mississippi, were between the ages of 30 and 35, and that "one [man] was young with gray hair and the other was very white". That was not the only time Whatley helped an imprisoned black man in Ferriday. The sheriffs office says the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide and that there are no suspects at large. The population of Adams County was split roughly in half between blacks and whites. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Friday morning. He said anyone who wants to resolve racial injustices and divisions should do so legally, rather than violently. He was killed when the shop burned down in 1964. CPSO says upon arrival, they found two bodies with fatal gunshot wounds. 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. The late Sammy Davis Jr. no relation to the famous entertainer was elected Ferridays first black mayor in 1984. In the last 5 years Ferriday has seen decreasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office was called to the home at around 8:47 a.m. that morning, he said. They quickly gave chase, pursuing the yellow Pontiac for several miles before Duncan watched their headlights start fading away. Read full article on original website. 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. Natchez Democrat. We do feel this is isolated to those individuals and we dont feel the community is in any danger at this point.. The group is believed to have had only some twenty members. "By the time the neighbors called 911, the incident in Ascension was already happening," Ard said. Warrants have been signed for a Ferriday man who allegedly shot and killed another Ferriday man early Saturday morning in Ferriday. Their assistance was invaluable and their response in working this case with us, he said. Minutes later, he, not his attackers, was arrested. (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 . No subscription required to play. Whatley contacted COREs central office after the attack, sparking an FBI investigation. His daily tasks included repairing shoes and saddles, selling jewellery, hats, and clothing, and dyeing purses. [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". 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. No one was ever arrested for the . An identified suspect had also fired a shotgun into the home of Junious "Tee-Wee" Kelly after Kelly had witnessed the arson. Our sincere condolences are offered to his family, friends, and coworkers.. According to the Concordia Sentinel, the Ferriday Police Department began investigating the deaths of two people who were killed Wednesday afternoon. 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. Were still trying to piece together all of the details as to what transpired, King said. Stanley Nelson is editor of the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, Louisiana. All games are FREE. Later that week, Morace called the informant saying that, "The rabbit hunt is off forget about it". If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. Check out these great suggestions. Morris was taken to the hospital by two Ferriday police officers and was able to speak to FBI investigators. Dakota Theriot was taken into custody in Virginia after killing five people in Louisiana on Jan. 27, 2019. "As far as why this happened, that motive is still unclear.". 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. FERRIDAY, La. The Deacons came to life solely to protect their communities and others victimized by Klansmen and police. 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. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available. That continues today, and even now.. Two suspects have. (KTVE/KARD) On Wednesday September 15, officers with the Ferriday Police Department arrested 19-year-old Denzel Washington for 2nd Degree Murder. In his first year of teaching at Morgantown, Mr. McCray was named the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year. (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 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 . . Morris, a black man who had . Until now, the case has gone unsolved. He was targeted by the SDG. A Ferriday man shot a Vidalia woman before killing himself with the same gun Tuesday afternoon in Ferriday. 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. [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. [2] Morris entered a coma two days later, and died on December14. Carl Ray Thompson, then 26, spotted his cousin's two-toned. Frank Morris (in the apron and visor) is seen standing in front of his shoe shop in Ferriday, La., in the 1950s. "[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. Morris opened Frank's Shoes Service in the late 1930s, in his hometown of Ferriday, Louisiana. We expect more arrests to be made in relation to this case. 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. McGorty reported that the Deacons membership in Ferriday totaled 23. Webre said that Theirots wounded father called 911 to report the shootings in Ascension Parish. [1][pageneeded] The shop was also his residence. 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. "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.". 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. No subscription required to play. Morris was interviewed three times; however, he was heavily medicated. 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. "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. So far no charges have been filed. Updated: Aug 18, 2021 / 01:29 PM CDT. 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. These men had long been outraged by one horrid memory - the 1964 arson murder of Ferriday shoe shop owner Frank Morris. With five children at home, Lewis kept the weapon unloaded. Nelson, Stanley. NATCHEZ, Miss. Who would you like to see as our next U.S. president? Frank Morris fathered one child, and had two grandchildren. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to the sheriff's office, it happened on June 23, 2019, in the. In February1968, the second investigation was closed when the FBI determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge any of the suspects. Louisiana shooting suspect Dakota Theriot captured. 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. 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. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considered the SDG to be a highly-dangerous domestic terror cell, and conducted multiple investigations into its activities. FERRIDAY, La. The SDG regularly committed arson, bombings, and murder. Their only protection came from the Deacons, he 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. Authorities in Louisiana will seek to extradite Theriot from Virginia, Webre said. 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. 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. hide caption. Later, he was transported to the parish courthouse jail in Vidalia. Part 1:A half-century ago in Jonesboro, armed black men fought back. We will continue to update this story with more information as it develops. The preliminary investigation concluded that Morris had not been involved in any racially motivated activities. ( 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. McCray drove the suspects to a location around Bayou Drive in Ferriday, where the suspects pulled out a gun and shot him. No charges have been brought despite three FBI investigations. Harp and colleagues also found a "slightly scorched" suitcase filled with fourteen and a half pints of bourbon. Police investigating Labor Day homicide in Ferriday. 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. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activity was exceptionally high during the Civil Rights era. "We don't really know what the motive is," Ard said. Theriot then allegedly went to Ascension Parish were he killed his parents, and then fled. Until now, the case has gone unsolved. [3] Much like the other Mississippi counties, law enforcement and the courts were run by whites. The state of Mississippi in the Jim Crow era was infamous for racially-fueled lynchings. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. IE 11 is not supported. A local black teacher claimed that after the arson, a rumor was spreading that Morris was facilitating interracial liaisons. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. No one was hurt during the arrest, Ard said. Not far from Lewis home lived Antonne Duncan, who days later ran through a Klan roadblock when he and other African American men transported Lewis home after his release from jail. Until now, the case has gone. Investigators say the people involved were 19 and 20-years . (KNOE) - Authorities are investigating what they believe to be a murder-suicide in Concordia Parish. The Natchez-Adams School District released the following statement: Mr. More history:Woman works to preserve Bogalusa home turned headquarters of civil rights group. [2] All four men were questioned and denied any involvement in the arson and murder. Cold Case: James Ford Seale: A sheriff's election, nine deaths and a silver dollar, Cold Case: Who killed Joseph Edwards? 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. 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". Cops are investigating a double shooting -- including one fatality -- in the now-famous L.A. neighborhood where the movie "Friday" was filmed. 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. Battered and ostracized while he attended Ferriday High, Whatley would go on to serve in Vietnam. ", 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. 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. Lets do it intellectually not forcefully, Whatley said. Klansmen took advantage of this, throwing a bomb just outside Whatleys bedroom window. When Jones was interviewed on September22, he stated that "if he was arrested for this crime, officers also would have to arrest DeLaughter". 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. This business serviced both black and white customers. [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. 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. As a Junior Deacon, he and other members were vigilant and on call when the older Deacons needed them. He killed five people," 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. They were identified as 65-year-old Mark Clark and 49-year-old Donna R. Clark, both of Ferriday. "[2] The FBI collected evidence at the crime scene and conducted interviews with local law enforcement, local Klan leaders, and witnesses. [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. CONCORDIA PARISH, La. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. [5], Following the bombing, the FBI launched operation "WHARBOM"[5] and placed multiple informants within Klan groups surrounding Natchez. Six decades after a Louisiana man's disappearance and presumed murder, his family is still looking for answers and a body to bury. Concordia Parish had 14 recorded racially-motivated murders between 1964 and 1967.[4]. He was convicted at that time of killing his parents and a teenage friend of his. FERRIDAY, La. "So, this is a monster.". 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. Still inside at the time, Morris was severely injured; he died four days later at a nearby hospital in Ferriday, La. 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. 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.

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