Editing Lawrence Russell Brewer (section)

===Before the murder===
Prior to Byrd's murder, Brewer had been 
member of the Texas chapter of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] and had served a prison sentence for drug possession and burglary, and was paroled in 1991. After violating his parole conditions in 1994, Brewer was returned to prison. According to his court testimony, he joined the [[Confederate Knights of America]] prison gang with King in order to safeguard himself from other inmates. Brewer and King became friends in the Beto Unit prison.