African-American man who was murdered by three white supremacists in Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998. Brewer and King were the first white men to be sentenced to death for killing a black person in the history of allen brothers steaks Texas. His mother was a Sunday School teacher and his father was a deacon at the Greater New Bethel Church. Ross Byrd, the only son of James Byrd Jr.
Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation”, an organization that opposes capital punishment. He campaigned to spare the lives of those who murdered his father and appeared briefly in the documentary Deadline. Berry, who was driving, was acquainted with Byrd from around town. Berry, Brewer, and King dumped the mutilated remains of Byrd’s body in front of an African-American church on Huff Creek Road, then drove off to a barbecue. A motorist found Byrd’s decapitated remains the following morning.
Along the area where Byrd was dragged, police found a wrench with “Berry” written on it. King had several racist tattoos: a black man hanging from a tree, Nazi symbols, the words “Aryan Pride”, and the patch for a gang of white supremacist inmates known as the Confederate Knights of America. Berry, Brewer, and King were tried and convicted for Byrd’s murder. Brewer and King received the death penalty, while Berry was sentenced to life in prison. Brewer was executed by lethal injection on September 21, 2011, and King was executed on April 24, 2019.
Brewer and King were almost entirely responsible for the crime. Brewer, however, testified that Berry had cut Byrd’s throat before he was tied to the truck. The jury decided that little evidence supported this claim. As a result, Berry was spared the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison. Byrd’s murder had served a prison sentence for drug possession and burglary. After violating his parole conditions in 1994, Brewer was returned to prison. According to his court testimony, he joined a white supremacist prison gang with King in order to safeguard himself from other inmates.
Before his execution, Brewer ordered a last meal that prompted the end of last meal requests in Texas. He was accused of beating Byrd with a bat and then dragging him behind a pickup truck until he died. On December 21, 2018, King’s execution by lethal injection was scheduled for April 24, 2019. The condemned perpetrators were held at the Allan B. Numerous aspects of the Byrd murder echo lynching traditions that were common in the post-Civil War south. These include mutilation or decapitation and revelry, such as a barbecue or a picnic, either during or after a lynching. Three sisters of James Byrd are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and in a joint statement said: “Having a loved one tortured and lynched produced an unimaginable sense of loss and pain.
How does one respond to such a brutal act? Retaliation, hateful speech, or promotion of hate-ridden propaganda never entered our mind. We thought: ‘What would Jesus have done? The victim’s family created the James Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing after his death. 100,000 to be put towards their educational expenses. Instead of three white supremacists, however, the killers were three white New York City police officers.
In 1999, the documentary, “Journey to a Hate Free Millennium” was created, showcasing three of the United States hate crimes including the shootings at Columbine High School, the death of gay student, Matthew Shepard and the execution of James Byrd Jr. The documentary won over 100 film and educational awards and has been used in schools all over the world as a means to stop hate. In 2003, a movie about the crime, titled Jasper, Texas, was produced and aired on Showtime. In May 2004, two white teens, Joshua Lee Talley and John Matthew Fowler, were arrested and charged with criminal mischief for desecrating James Byrd Jr. Some advocacy groups, such as the NAACP National Voter Fund, made an issue of this case during George W. They accused Bush of implicit racism, since as governor of Texas, he opposed hate-crime legislation.
Also, citing a prior commitment, Bush did not appear at Byrd’s funeral. Byrd’s murder is the subject of Maryland poet laureate Lucille Clifton’s piece “jasper texas 1998” as well as Jeffrey Thomson’s piece “Achilles in Jasper, Texas”. 3 whites indicted in dragging death of black man in Texas”. Closing arguments today in Texas dragging-death trial”. Texas Executes White Supremacist for 1998 Dragging Death of James Byrd Jr”. Obama signs hate-crimes law rooted in crimes of 1998″.
White supremacist Lawrence Russell Brewer executed for dragging death”. Jasper: The Road Back: Did prison time turn man into one of Byrd’s killers? Execution date set for John William King for the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd, Junior”. Texas executes white supremacist who dragged black man to death”. Stella Byrd, mother of Jasper dragging victim, dies at 85″. Archived from the original on September 13, 2002.