edward killen

[Po Monkey Lounger]

Well, IMO, the jury did the right thing. Found Killen guilty of planning the attacks on the 3 civil rights workers. I think it was smart for the prosecutors to not go for an all or nothing verdict, amend the charges to add the manslaughter count and ask for the manslaughter instruction. Based upon the testimony re the instructions given by Killen to the other klansmen, it was conceivable that the jury could find that Killen ordered an attack on these workers, but not necessarily murder. From a practical standpoint, being found guilty of 3 separate counts of manslaughter carrying a penalty of up to 20 years for each count, will put him behind bars for the rest of his pitiful existence on earth.

Whether the results of this trial will lead to other prosecutions in the case remains to be seen. As I opined earlier, this was probably the prosecution's best case against the remaining living suspects. And they did not get the conspiracy murder charge that they ulitmately wanted.

If there is not enough evidence to get an indictment against the others, then this may very well be the end of the matter. That would be a shame, IMO, but it may be the reality of the state of the evidence after 40 years.

Chaney's family may be going off on a tangent, eluding to social issues unrelated to the murder charges. However, please remember that this is a family that has lived with this injustice for over 40 years. The fact that one of them has not taken the law into their own hands and whacked one or more of the perpetrators demonstrates the level of fear that existed in the 60s and early 70s, and shows a level of restraint that I admittedly probably would not have been able to do had I been in the same situation.
He and his family, IMO, deserve to be cut a little slack in this situation for not resorting to violence.

Hell, if I had been born black and lived as an adult through the 60s in Mississippi, I probably would have been a militant member of the "black panthers", with Malcolm X as my mentor. Those klansmen would have been in the crosshairs of my rifle scope.

[Spoonallard]

Monkey I'm afraid I must agree! I just want all of this to be over and I don't want to hear anymore of poor pitiful me from the Black community. If they don't like what they have then they can earn it like the rest of us.
Spoon

[lilwhitelie]

Ok so it is over and he was found guilty!! But if any of yall believe he was ever given a fair trial then I think you are saddly mistaken!! He was guilty before it ever started!! Those people on the jury would have been so persecuted by the black race if they had let him go and I belive that had at least something to do with the outcome! The sad thing is that afterwards they interviewed some of the victims family and all they could say is that more needs to be done and more people brought to justice! It will never end!!!!! Race relations is getting NO better and this chet don't help either side!!

[Bustin' Ducks]

Ok so it is over and he was found guilty!! But if any of yall believe he was ever given a fair trial then I think you are saddly mistaken!! He was guilty before it ever started!! Those people on the jury would have been so persecuted by the black race if they had let him go and I belive that had at least something to do with the outcome! The sad thing is that afterwards they interviewed some of the victims family and all they could say is that more needs to be done and more people brought to justice! It will never end!!!!! Race relations is getting NO better and this chet don't help either side!!

I agree somewhat on the later part except that...He was guilty the day the masterminded the plan w/ the KKK to attack those guys..that's all..the rest I'm with ya on...

[Po Monkey Lounger]

Spoonallard, I believe the same as most on this board --- it is time for people ---of all colors ---to go to work, earn a living, and quit expecting a handout from the government.

Having said that, I also think that the current prosecution of Killen has nothing to do with these social issues. It should be all about rendering justice, regardless of the amount of time it has taken to do the right thing. Murder is murder. There is not a statute of limitations for murder. And such prosecution is really all the state of MS can and should do with respect to the matter. As to these surrounding social issues, the Court system cannot and is not designed to solve these type of problems.

Our federal and state government has created the welfare state ---all with reasonably good intentions. Most agree that we, as a society, and the richest nation on earth, should take care of our elderly, disabled, disadvantaged children, etc. And many would agree that we should assist the unemployed during temporary periods of umemployment ( this is done by taxing employers). To the extent government programs go beyond these basic safety nets to provide assistance unlimited in time to able bodied citizens, I think our welfare system has been corrupted and strayed from what its primary mission should be in a free and capitalistic society. To a large extent, both political parties have contributed to this mindset of entitlement by pandering to segments of the population for votes in an effort to gain power through election to office. As voters, we have been enablers of many of these politicians, especially when they have been bringing home the "pork" for our state, county, city, or ourselves. They do this because they see it as a way to get re-elected, and it works. If it did not work, they would not do it. One state's, region's, person's salvation is another's example of "pork".

No government is perfect. At least we have the right to vote and effectuate change. But, until each of us gains the self discipline to not vote our own "pocketbooks" for the greater good, then we will remain forever mired in a system that serves special interests. So long as each of us are a part of that special interest, then we will think the system is working great. But, isn't that the problem? The "good ol boy" system is still alive and well, its just that the membership requirements to be a "good ol boy" are always changing.

These social issues are a much bigger, complex problem than I could ever hope to fully understand, or much less solve on an internet board. These are just my opinions, your mileage may vary.

[SoftCall]

He was guilty before it ever started!!

exactly - that's why a jury of his peers found him guilty after a fair trial. how was this trial not fair...what were the demographics of the jury? what evidence was tainted? what testimony was false? I am just curious because I watched some of the trial on TV when I was in Meridian yesterday. Seemed pretty fair to me.....in fact pretty light IMO.

If someone planned an attack against one of my family members and it resulted in their death...and the mastermind got manslughter...I would say to the media that I wanted more done too. I would just take matters in to my own hands at that point.

I also recall that not all of the victims were black.......

[Seymore]

I sure as Hell wish I had made reservations to take the wife and kids down to Geyser Falls for another week. Leave tomorrow afternoon, stay the night, and let the kids play on Thursday. Same day he gets sentenced. I made these reservations over a month ago and didn't even think of the trial being at the same time.

Damn, just my luck. Maybe most of the media circus will have left.

[BeastMaster]

heard a speaker back in the spring talking about how so many immigrants come here and do extremely well for themselves... only in america does everyone expect to be treated fairly,expect to go to bed with a full stomach, and most of all expect to be happy.... USA has a bad case of "small man" syndrome......... someone always holding back the black man... someone always holding back the small man.. small man can't ever get ahead... etc.... these foreigners come over here with nothing and expect nothing...and they get everything they want... i hate hearing minorities complain about equal opportunities..... if someone thinks that blacks don't have equal opportunities THEY ARE BLIND.... poor poor me.. sick of hearing that... go out and kill it and bring it home.. stop waiting on the gov't to bring it to your house wrapped in a big bo !!

[lilwhitelie]

He was guilty before it ever started!!

exactly - that's why a jury of his peers found him guilty after a fair trial. how was this trial not fair...what were the demographics of the jury? what evidence was tainted? what testimony was false? I am just curious because I watched some of the trial on TV when I was in Meridian yesterday. Seemed pretty fair to me.....in fact pretty light IMO.

If someone planned an attack against one of my family members and it resulted in their death...and the mastermind got manslughter...I would say to the media that I wanted more done too. I would just take matters in to my own hands at that point.

I also recall that not all of the victims were black.......

Come on... How was this trial fair!! Are you saying nobody in Phily had any preformed judgements about this case?? It is a small town with the whole world watching and if he was let go this time the jurors would have caught hell from both sides!!! I am sure they would have received threats ect!! Too much emphasis was put on him being guilty to set Phily free and do the right thing and clear them of the past etc!! I am in no way saying he had nothing to do with it but it was by no means a FAIR trial!!It should have NEVER been held where it was if it was to truly be fair!! If they let him go they are probably labeled racist and Ms is still a backwoods State with KKK etc but convict him and we don't have to worry about Jesse Jackson coming here or threats etc and we can be heroes to some cause we convicted him!!! MOVE ON!!!!!!! Plus it was 40years ago and nobody knows for sure he masterminded anything!! Hence the not guilty verdict on murder!!!

[lilwhitelie]

To even further back up the fair trial crap, I just read the Clarion Liar and it had all the jurors names listed for all to see!! How would that make you feel if you were a juror? Would that in anyway sway your judgement in a case like this especially in a small town where you have to see the same people everyday!!! Most jurors they interviewed wanted to not comment and said let's just move on and it is time Phiy was cleared of this stigma!! Seemed they may have just convicted him or anyone associated with knowledge of the killings just to say"ok we did something so leave us alone already"!!! The pressure to convict was too overwhelming for the jurors and should have been tried somewhere else!!!

[Cotten]

[quote="Po Monkey Lounger"]Spoonallard, I believe the same as most on this board --- it is time for people ---of all colors ---to go to work, earn a living, and quit expecting a handout from the government.

Having said that, I also think that the current prosecution of Killen has nothing to do with these social issues. It should be all about rendering justice, regardless of the amount of time it has taken to do the right thing. Murder is murder. There is not a statute of limitations for murder. And such prosecution is really all the state of MS can and should do with respect to the matter. As to these surrounding social issues, the Court system cannot and is not designed to solve these type of problems.[/quote]


What he said above.

[Sprint12]

Lots of good reads. But as bad as our "system" is when we really think about it, it is still the best in the world. Scary ain't it.

[Bankermane]

Just curious Po Monkey. I know there is no time limit on murder. What about manslaughter? Not trying to start something, but in reading the paper, I began to wonder.

[sportsman450]

Just curious Po Monkey. I know there is no time limit on murder. What about manslaughter? Not trying to start something, but in reading the paper, I began to wonder.

Yeah, I was wondering about that myself.

[hillhunter]

the top story on MSN this morning is about the boy who got killed in Money in 1955........more great publicity for our great state. This time the people accused aren't even alive, just accomplices.....one of whom is black. The article was pretty informative about the case.