Willie Edwards Jr. (November 13, 1932 – January 23, 1957) was a 24-year-old black American, husband and father, who was murdered by members of the AlabamaKu Klux Klan. He is buried at New Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Letohatchee, Alabama.
On the night of January 22, 1957, a small group of Klansmen gathered, armed with pistols and a rifle. They got into a car to look for Willie Edwards, an black American, who had recently been hired as a driver for Winn-Dixie. They thought that he was sleeping with a white woman. Willie had come home from work and an hour later got a call from his boss asking to come back in because one of the other workers had called in sick. Edwards left to go to work on the afternoon of January 23, never to return home. It is thought he was abducted and beaten by the Klansmen as they drove him around Montgomery. Then they stopped at the Tyler-Goodwin Bridge, along the Alabama River near Montgomery, and pointed a gun at Edwards, before commanding him to jump off the bridge. He fell 125 feet (38.1 m) to his death. Three months passed before his body was discovered washed up on the shores of the river. Officials stated that decomposition made it impossible to determine the cause of his death.
Case reopenededit
In 1976, then State Attorney GeneralBill Baxley re-opened the Edwards case. Four people were arrested and charged with Edwards's murder: Sonny Kyle Livingston Jr. (38), Henry Alexander (46), James York (73), and Raymond Britt Jr. Britt broke the long silence with his affidavit (in exchange for immunity), dated February 20, 1976. In the statement to Attorney General Bill Baxley, Britt described how on the night of January 23, 1957, he along with three other men beat and forced Edwards to jump off the Tyler-Goodwin Bridge into the Alabama River. Alabama Judge Frank Embry, however, dismissed the charges, even with Britt's sworn testimony, because no cause of death was ever established. He concluded that "merely forcing a person to jump from a bridge does not naturally and probably lead to the death of such person."[1]
In 1997, Edwards's daughter, Malinda, requested the District Attorney, Ellen Brooks, to re-investigate her father's death. The District Attorney agreed and began working with the new medical examiner, Dr. James Lauridson. It was found that Edwards's death was caused by a forced jump into the Alabama River in 1957. Therefore, Edwards's cause of death was changed from unknown to homicide. In 1999, the District Attorney presented the new case before a Montgomery County Grand Jury, which subsequently affirmed that Edwards's death was indeed caused by the KKK, but declined to indict anyone specifically of the crime.[2]
Notesedit
^Nossiter, Adam (September 4, 1993). "Murder, Memory And the Klan: A special report.; Widow Inherits a Confession To a 36-Year-Old Hate Crime". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
A Changing South Revisits Its Unsolved Racial Killings, Emily Yellin, New York Times, November 8 1999 (archived)
February 15, 2024
murder, willie, edwards, willie, edwards, november, 1932, january, 1957, year, black, american, husband, father, murdered, members, alabama, klux, klan, buried, pleasant, valley, cemetery, letohatchee, alabama, willie, edwardsbornwillie, edwards, november, 193. Willie Edwards Jr November 13 1932 January 23 1957 was a 24 year old black American husband and father who was murdered by members of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan He is buried at New Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Letohatchee Alabama Willie EdwardsBornWillie Edwards Jr November 13 1932 1932 11 13 Lowndes County AlabamaDiedJanuary 23 1957 1957 01 23 aged 24 Tyler Goodwyn BridgeAlabama River Montgomery County AlabamaCause of deathRacially motivated murder by Ku Klux Klan members Contents 1 Murder 2 Case reopened 3 Notes 4 ReferencesMurder editOn the night of January 22 1957 a small group of Klansmen gathered armed with pistols and a rifle They got into a car to look for Willie Edwards an black American who had recently been hired as a driver for Winn Dixie They thought that he was sleeping with a white woman Willie had come home from work and an hour later got a call from his boss asking to come back in because one of the other workers had called in sick Edwards left to go to work on the afternoon of January 23 never to return home It is thought he was abducted and beaten by the Klansmen as they drove him around Montgomery Then they stopped at the Tyler Goodwin Bridge along the Alabama River near Montgomery and pointed a gun at Edwards before commanding him to jump off the bridge He fell 125 feet 38 1 m to his death Three months passed before his body was discovered washed up on the shores of the river Officials stated that decomposition made it impossible to determine the cause of his death Case reopened editIn 1976 then State Attorney General Bill Baxley re opened the Edwards case Four people were arrested and charged with Edwards s murder Sonny Kyle Livingston Jr 38 Henry Alexander 46 James York 73 and Raymond Britt Jr Britt broke the long silence with his affidavit in exchange for immunity dated February 20 1976 In the statement to Attorney General Bill Baxley Britt described how on the night of January 23 1957 he along with three other men beat and forced Edwards to jump off the Tyler Goodwin Bridge into the Alabama River Alabama Judge Frank Embry however dismissed the charges even with Britt s sworn testimony because no cause of death was ever established He concluded that merely forcing a person to jump from a bridge does not naturally and probably lead to the death of such person 1 In 1997 Edwards s daughter Malinda requested the District Attorney Ellen Brooks to re investigate her father s death The District Attorney agreed and began working with the new medical examiner Dr James Lauridson It was found that Edwards s death was caused by a forced jump into the Alabama River in 1957 Therefore Edwards s cause of death was changed from unknown to homicide In 1999 the District Attorney presented the new case before a Montgomery County Grand Jury which subsequently affirmed that Edwards s death was indeed caused by the KKK but declined to indict anyone specifically of the crime 2 Notes edit Nossiter Adam September 4 1993 Murder Memory And the Klan A special report Widow Inherits a Confession To a 36 Year Old Hate Crime The New York Times Retrieved 28 March 2011 Willie Edwards Jr Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project Archived from the original on 2018 02 27 Retrieved 9 June 2011 References editJustice Still Absent in Bridge Death Major W Cox Montgomery Advertiser March 2 1999 archived Suspects Bound In 1957 Slaying Montgomery Advertiser February 27 1976 COLD CASE FILES Episode 34 The History Channel December 23 2004 dead link A Changing South Revisits Its Unsolved Racial Killings Emily Yellin New York Times November 8 1999 archived Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Murder of Willie Edwards amp oldid 1203383877, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
