Edgar Ray Killen

former Ku Klux Klan organizer convicted of three counts of manslaughter (1925-2018)

Edgar Ray Killen (January 17, 1925 – January 11, 2018) was an American murderer and Ku Klux Klan organizer.

Edgar Ray Killen
Booking photo, late 1964
Born(1925-01-17)January 17, 1925
DiedJanuary 11, 2018(2018-01-11) (aged 92)
NationalityAmerican
Other namesPreacher
Criminal statusDeceased
Conviction(s)Manslaughter (3 counts)
Criminal chargeMurder (3 counts)
Penalty60 years imprisonment

Killings

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Killen planned and directed the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, three civil rights activists participating in the Freedom Summer of 1964.[1][2] He was found guilty in state court of three counts of manslaughter on June 21, 2005, the forty-first anniversary of the crime, and sentenced to 60 years in prison. He appealed against the verdict, but the sentence was upheld on April 12, 2007, by the Supreme Court of Mississippi.[3]

Lawsuit

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On February 25, 2010, the Associated Press reported that Killen filed a lawsuit against the FBI.[4] The case was dismissed by a judge a year later in February 2011.

Killen died in prison in Parchman, Mississippi on January 11, 2018, six days before his 93rd birthday.[5]

References

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  1. "'Mississippi Burning' Case Begins New Chapter, as Prof. Ken Bode Previews Trial - DePauw University". Depauw.edu. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  2. "Civil Rights Movement Veterans Website -- Neshoba Murders Case — A Chronology". Crmvet.org. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  3. Killen v. State, 958 So.2d 172 (Miss. 2007).
  4. Holbrook Mohr (February 25, 2010). "Ex-Klansman sues FBI, claims agency used mafia hit man and secret informants against him". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  5. Jerry Mitchell, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger (January 12, 2018). "Klansman who orchestrated Mississippi Burning killings dies in prison". USA Today. Retrieved January 12, 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)