Byron De La Beckwith Essay

Introduction
In 1964, Byron De La Beckwith, a white man, stood trial accused in the murder of black Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi. Evers was the thirty-seven year old Field Secretary for the NAACP; Beckwith was a member of the White Citizens Chapter of Greenwood, Mississippi. Although the case drew national attention at a time when the country was torn apart by racial strife, two different all-white juries were unable to reach a unanimous decision and both trials resulted in mistrials. It was not until 1989 that a young, white prosecutor in Jackson, Mississippi named Bobby DeLaughter gained interest in the case after reading a newspaper article. DeLaughter set the wheels in motion for Beckwith’s third trial which

the Board of Education, striking down Plessy vs. Ferguson’s ruling of “separate but equal.” Those in the South who favored segregation, such as Beckwith, coined the day “Black Monday.”
In response to the Court decision, the Citizens’ Council was formed in Indianola, a few months thereafter and by the end of the year, had chapters in seventeen counties. After hearing founding member, Circuit Court Judge Tom P. Brady, speak at a meeting of the Sons of the American Revolution, Beckwith zealously joined the group. One of Council’s first projects was to successfully pass an amendment to the Mississippi Constitution requiring that Blacks pass a competency test before voting.
The Sovereignty Commission was created in 1956. The organization served as a link between government and private segregation groups such as the Citizens’ Council. When Beckwith learned that the organization was initiating an investigative unit, he was quick to apply for a position, stating his military record and his membership in the Citizens’ Council. He received a letter thanking him for his interest, stating his application would be given

Myrlie Evers took the stand and recounted the events of the night Evers was killed. DeLaughter then presented the original evidence: the rifle, fingerprints, and witnesses placing him at the scene. However, the most damning of evidence, was the numerous written and verbal statements by Beckwith admitting his guilt. Delmar Dennis testified that Beckwith had boasted at the Klan rally. A correctional officer from Angola also testified that Beckwith had admitted to the murder while incarcerated there.
One of Beckwith’s alibis, a police officer in Greenwood was now deceased and the other was too ill to testify. The third witness for the defense gave a shaky testimony and was easily flustered by the prosecutor. DeLaughter asked in his summation if it “was ever too late to do the right thing.”
On February 5, 1994, the jury reached a verdict after deliberating overnight. The jury decided that Byron De La Beckwith was guilty of the murder of Medgar Evers. Judge Hilburn, who presided over the trial, sentenced Beckwith to life in prison. The case was appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, but was overruled on December 22, 1997. Beckwith died on January 21, 2001 after serving seven years in prison. He was eighty years old. The funeral was attended by member of the Ku Klux Klan, including the Imperial Wizard.