Byron De La Beckwith: Difference between revisions

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{{Villain_Infobox

|~~image~~ = ~~[[File:~~Byron_De_La_Beckwith.jpg~~|thumb]]~~

|Image = Byron_De_La_Beckwith.jpg

|fullname = Byron De La Beckwith, Jr.

|alias =

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Early in the morning on June 12, 1963, Evers was getting out of his car at his home when he was shot in the back. He died soon afterward. Mississippi was a hotbed of conflict between segregationists and civil rights activists, but the killing drew particular attention. Beckwith—whose rifle was found at the scene, and whose fingerprint was on its scope—was quickly arrested.

The atmosphere in Mississippi was such that Beckwith received letters of support and donations for his defense fund while in prison. Two policemen also claimed to have seen Beckwith in Greenwood—more than 90 miles away from Jackson—on the night of the killing. When Beckwith's case went to trial in 1964, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. A retrial later that year resulted in another deadlocked jury. Both juries were made up entirely of white men.

The atmosphere in Mississippi was such that Beckwith received letters of support and donations for his defense fund while in prison. Two policemen also claimed to have seen Beckwith in Greenwood—more than 90 miles away from Jackson—on the night of the killing. When Beckwith's case went to trial in 1964, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. A retrial later that year resulted in another deadlocked jury. Both juries were made up entirely of white men. Beckwith evidently didn't believe that his popularity would be affected by these accusations, unsuccessfully seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 1967.

Evers's widow, Myrlie Evers Williams, did not give up on bringing her husband's killer to justice. When a 1989 newspaper investigation revealed evidence that a Mississippi state agency had committed jury tampering in 1964, she pushed for a new trial. (As Beckwith had previously experienced mistrials, not an acquittal, he was not subject to double jeopardy.)

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 {{Villain_Infobox
-|image = [[File:Byron_De_La_Beckwith.jpg|thumb]]
+|Image = Byron_De_La_Beckwith.jpg
 |fullname = Byron De La Beckwith, Jr.
 |alias =
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 Early in the morning on June 12, 1963, Evers was getting out of his car at his home when he was shot in the back. He died soon afterward. Mississippi was a hotbed of conflict between segregationists and civil rights activists, but the killing drew particular attention. Beckwith—whose rifle was found at the scene, and whose fingerprint was on its scope—was quickly arrested.
-The atmosphere in Mississippi was such that Beckwith received letters of support and donations for his defense fund while in prison. Two policemen also claimed to have seen Beckwith in Greenwood—more than 90 miles away from Jackson—on the night of the killing. When Beckwith's case went to trial in 1964, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. A retrial later that year resulted in another deadlocked jury. Both juries were made up entirely of white men.
+The atmosphere in Mississippi was such that Beckwith received letters of support and donations for his defense fund while in prison. Two policemen also claimed to have seen Beckwith in Greenwood—more than 90 miles away from Jackson—on the night of the killing. When Beckwith's case went to trial in 1964, the jury was unable to reach a verdict. A retrial later that year resulted in another deadlocked jury. Both juries were made up entirely of white men. Beckwith evidently didn't believe that his popularity would be affected by these accusations, unsuccessfully seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi in 1967.
 Evers's widow, Myrlie Evers Williams, did not give up on bringing her husband's killer to justice. When a 1989 newspaper investigation revealed evidence that a Mississippi state agency had committed jury tampering in 1964, she pushed for a new trial. (As Beckwith had previously experienced mistrials, not an acquittal, he was not subject to double jeopardy.)