The hate crime that shocked Jackson, Mississippi | Forensic Files

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more [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website in the early hours of Sunday June 26
2011 James Anderson who went by his middle name of Craig found himself in a predicament he had locked his keys
inside his car it was a setback the happy go-lucky 47-year-old africanamerican man wasn't
prepared for Craig had gone out alone the previous evening as his husband of 18 years James was rusted on to work a
night shift over the weekend hours earlier James had phoned Craig to remind him to start packing for their
upcoming trip to Chicago in celebration of Craig's 48th birthday in 5 days time their call ended with the men telling
one another I love you Craig's orange Chevy Avalanche was parked in a lot off the metro in a
budget hotel in his home city of Jackson Mississippi located near the intersection section of Highway 80 in
the city's West the lot was relatively small with around two dozen angled parking spots split into two near even
rows a Wendy's fast food restaurant was located on its northern border with winding on and off ramps for the
Interstate 20 Highway to the South the lot was partially framed with small treelined nature strips and could
be accessed to the East Via Frontage Road and to the west from the busy thoroughfare of Ellis
Avenue shortly after 4:45 a.m. as Craig assessed his options a white Jeep Cherokee SUV carrying four occupants
entered the parking lot two young Caucasian men got out of the vehicle and approached Craig who
explained his dilemma he asked the pair if they had a coat hanger he could use to try and
Jimmy the lock in his car door the men moved back and forth between their Jeep and Craig's car engaging
Craig in conversation while seemingly looking for an item that could be of assistance 15 minutes later a dark green
Ford F250 pickup truck carrying three occupants drove into the car park before leaving via the Ellis Avenue
exit the two men who were helping Craig got back into their Jeep and followed the
Ford moments later both vehicles returned and stopped in close vicinity to where Craig was waiting by his
car the two men who had assisted Craig earlier emerged from the Jeep and were joined by the driver of the Ford a young
white blond-haired blue-eyed male he called Craig a racist slur and yelled get away from my
truck suddenly one of the men from the Jeep punched Craig in the face knocking him to the
ground the driver of the Ford then straddled Craig and proceeded to hit him repeatedly around the head while curing
and shouting racial abuse the remaining passengers of the group's two vehicles watched on as the
as salant spent the next 3 and a half minutes beating Craig afterwards he stole Craig's mobile
phone wallet and wedding ring before jumping back into the driver's seat of the Ford as the Jeep drove away one of its
passengers yelled out white power in response the driver of the Ford raised his fist in the air and yelled back
white power as the Ford pulled out of the parking lot its headlights illuminated
Craig stumbling along the edge of Ellis Avenue just to the right of the exit the driver steered towards him mounted
the curb and ran him over the Ford's occupants yelled more racial abuse out of the window as the
vehicle sped [Music] away [Music] the state of Mississippi is located in America's Deep South barded by Louisiana
Alabama and Arkansas during the 1800s black slaves were used to tend to the farming land
that was owned by Mississippi's White Citizens and by 1860 these slaves accounted for 55% of the state's
population the state was so heavily invested in slavery that race became a dominant theme of Mississippi's
Politics on January 9 1861 Mississippi declared secession from the US Union and became one of America's
original Confederate states in the Declaration slavery was referred to as quote the greatest
material interest of the world in April that same year the ongoing controversy between the Southern
and northern states over the enslavement of black people gave rise to the American Civil
War over 80,000 mississippians fought in the War many of whom were motivated by fear of losing white
supremacy during this time the majority of Mississippi's black population were enslaved and living on
plantations many had been forced there by ship or over land via the domestic slave
trade in 1865 when the Confederacy Was Defeated and the Civil War ended slavery was
abolished by the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution with Mississippi being one of the few states
that voted against the amendment 5 years later Mississippi rejoined the US Union but the state continued to face
intense interracial conflict and was Cent a stage during the Civil Rights Movement of the mid 20th
century this was most evident in the state's capital city Jackson known as the city with soul
Jackson is renowned for its music architecture museums historic cultural districts performing arts and vibrant
nightlife however like the rest of Mississippi the city has a dark and complex history when it comes to racial
inequality between 1877 and 1950 22 people were lynched in Jackson's Hines County more than anywhere else in the
state in 1954 the federal governments forced and to segregation resulted in Jackson
becoming more racially diverse this prompted many white people to move away from the city rendering
some neighborhoods of Jackson almost exclusively black one of the most infamous hate
crimes that occurred in Mississippi was the 1955 murder of 14-year-old EMT till a black teenager who allegedly wolf
whistled at a white woman in retaliation for this perceived slot two white men kidnapped and killed
EMT before dumping his body into the tahachi river an allwhite jury acquitted the man
even though they later admitted to the murder another race fueled incident occurred in
1964 when two 19-year-old Blackman Charles Moore and Henry D were murdered by members of the white supremacist hate
group the Klux clan in the Mississippi town of Roxy Charles and Henry were tied to a
tree beaten and then dumped in the Mississippi River to drown that same year a gang of klock's
clansmen that included several police officers abducted and murdered one black man James Cheney and two white Jewish
men Andrew Goodman and Michael scherner in nooba County County because they were
trying to help black people register to vote during the 1960s several serious crimes were committed against civil
rights activists by white supremacists and racist aggression was constant in 1963 civil rights activist Medgar Evers
was shot outside his home by a member of the Klux Clan which caused the national
outrage and was pivotal to the passing of the Civil Rights Act the following year from 1980 to 1990 Jackson's white
population dropped to 43% and by 2000 white people accounted for just over a quarter of the City's
population although that number showed a slight increase by 2011 racially motivated crimes committed by white
people against the city's black citizens remained prevalent Craig Anderson had lived in
Jackson Mississippi for most of his adult life he was originally from Holes County and was primarily raised by his
mother after his father died Craig was one of four children with an older sister and two younger brothers he grew
up to become a kind and courteous person who was particularly caring towards children and the
elderly his defining feature was what his sister Barbara called his grand piano Smile as a Young Man Craig moved 70 Mi
South to Jackson where in 1993 at the age of 30 he was introduced to James another African-American
man James later told journalist Albert Samaha from BuzzFeed news that by the end of their first day the pair had
fallen for one another the cautious and organized the James kept Craig in check while Craig's warm and easygoing
personality allowed James to loosen up a little on a number of occasions James surprised Craig with trips to cities
like Chicago New Orleans and Miami there the couple were more comfortable being affectionate in public
unlike in Jackson where members of the lgbtqi community often faced discrimination 5 years into their
relationship James and Craig bought a house in Jackson James wasn't initially keen on
the property as he thought it was ugly but Craig saw its potential and spent the next few years turning it into a
home he put in new flooring painted the walls renovated the kitchen and planted a garden full of
flowers Craig also picked out all of the furniture and decorated the house with plush Green carpet and paintings of
tigers the couple were active churchgoers at the first H Park Missionary Baptist Church where Craig
sang as tenor in the choir by 2004 Craig and James had been together for a years and knew they
wanted to spend the rest of their lives together at the time Mississippi didn't recognize same-sex marriage so they held
a private ceremony in New Orleans where they exchanged vows and Rings months later Craig was offered a
job as a production technician at a Nissen vehicle manufacturing plant in Canton roughly 20 M north of
Jackson Craig was through thrilled as the position was higher paid than his previous job and James later told
BuzzFeed news that he'd reacted by quote jumping around smiling like it was the best day of his
life the couple celebrated with a trip to Memphis Tennessee in 2007 a situation arose
within James's extended family that resulted in a relative needing to rehome their newborn Bor baby
boy James was eager to adopt but Craig wasn't sure they were ready for the responsibility they decided to proceed
with the adoption and Craig immediately embraced the role of a devoted father he loved spoiling their adopted
son with chocolates and toys James later stated those were the years when we were
like this is it we're going to like our life we both got good jobs we were living real comfortable we had
everything we wanted we go to church we go to work we pay our taxes and come home to our
family that's all you can ask for in the early hours of Sunday June 26 2011 911 received a call from a woman at
Jackson's Metro just off Highway 880 she had just witnessed a dark green Ford pickup truck run over a black man
in the motel's parking lot the perpetrators who were identified as being young and white were also heard
hurling racial abuse at the victim when police arrived at the Metro in they found several irate people
gathered around a severely injured and unresponsive Craig Anderson on the the curb of Ellis Avenue just outside the
car park Craig was rushed to hospital but his injuries were severe and the situation
dire his attackers were divided between two vehicles the Ford used in the hit and run and a white Jeep
SUV both cars were witnessed to driving past the lot immediately after the attack while their passengers pointed
and police sped onto the Interstate 20 where the Ford was last sighted traveling East
and caught up to the vehicle as they pulled up beside it one officer locked eyes with the driver a
young white man with blonde hair and blue eyes the officer noted he had this Blank Stare about him
it was chilling like a cold-hearted look on that never forget that look the driver was ordered to pull over
and provide his driver's license which identified him as 19-year-old darl Deadman there were two female passengers
in his truck 17-year-old Shelby Richards and 18-year-old Sarah Graves all three team acted like they
had no idea why the police had pulled them over with the Dead Man's demeanor akin to someone on their way home after
an uneventful day Shelby Richard seemed to think the whole aeal was a joke while Sarah Graves
appeared uncomfortable as though she was part of something she didn't want to be
involved with the police inspected the Ford's exterior and found blood and brain
matter on the right side of the front bumper later that morning Jame j s returned to the home he shared with
Craig Anderson after finishing his graveyard shift at the airplane parts factory where he
worked he quickly discovered that his husband wasn't home and to the next thing he knew police officers were
knocking at the door they revealed that Craig had been in an accident overnight and when James
asked to go see him the officers informed him that it wouldn't be possible as cra had been
killed darl Deadman Shelby Richards and Sarah Graves were taken into custody and
interviewed separately Deadman told police that Craig Anderson had jumped in front of
his truck while Richards who was Deadman's girlfriend laughed when she was brought into the interview
room in contrast Sarah Graves appeared in shock and was cry crying once she had settled she detailed
the leadup to the incident on the night of Saturday June 25 Graves and several dozen other youths
were celebrating a birthday in a field near the village of pcket around 30 Mi southeast of
Jackson they engaged in underage drinking around a bonfire until the party reached its conclusion at 4:15
a.m. 10 party goers then made a plan to meet up at a gas station in Brandon a predominantly white neighborhood on the
outskirts of Jackson where the majority of the youths lived at the gas station the group
discussed going to Jackson which was a short Drive West three party goers called it a night
and went home while the remaining seven committed to the trip 23-year-old will William Montgomery
drove 18-year-olds John rice and John bllac and 20-year-old Dylan Butler in his white Jeep Cherokee
SUV darl Deadman took Sarah Graves and Shelby Richards in his green Ford F250 pickup
truck during the drive into Jackson Deadman and the girls received a call from the Jeep occupants informing them
that they were parked in the lot next to the metro in on Ellis Avenue Sarah Graves claimed that when
they arrived rice and bllac were talking to a black man in the motel's car park Deadman then confronted the man and
the pair got into a physical altercation after the fight Deadman returned to the Ford and referred to the
man using racist terminology Graves told Detectives we started pulling out and the guy was
walking towards us and Deadman just stepped on it the guy slipped under the car and then I freaked out and I went
into like a shock I couldn't breathe I couldn't say anything I didn't know what to do I was
scared afterwards Deadman called Montgomery to brag about what he had done the two groups then reconvened at a
nearby McDonald's restaurant where Deadman laughed as he surveyed the front bumper of his
car after 6 hours at the police station Sarah Graves was released without charge
as was Shelby Richards Graves was picked up by her mother Mary who later described her
daughter as seeming scared to death she had Sarah admitted into Hospital believing that she was
suicidal in the meantime a remorseless darl Deadman was formally charged with Craig Anderson's
murder he posted the required 15% of his $50,000 Bond securing his release pending
trial police obtained CCTV footage from a security camera that overlooked the Ellis Avenue entrance to the car
Park both offenders Vehicles were filmed entering the lot though only the Ford remained in
view although the physical assault on Craig Anderson occurred off camera multiple figures could be seen moving in
and out of frame between the fight and the two cars before leaving one figure believed
to be Daryl Deadman was captured punching a fist in the air and was overheard by a security guard yelling
what power even though a tree partly obscured the area where Craig was run over Deadman's Ford could be seen steering up
onto the curb and behind the tree before rising up over something and back down again one officer
said it sent chills just watching the CCTV I couldn't believe it they ran Craig Anderson down like a
dog detectives soon learned that the assault was instigated by Teenager John rice after arriving at the car park rice
and fellow Jeep passenger John bllac had approached Craig as he tried to access his locked
car they pretended to help only to turn on Craig once Daryl Deadman arrived rice bllac and Deadman then
confronted Craig together Deadman referred to Craig using a racial slur and yelled get away from
my truck rice threw the first punch before Deadman continued the attack as a result John rice was also
charged with Craig's murder this charge was ultimately reduced to simple assault after Rice's
attorney successfully argued that his client had left in the Jeep before the Fatal hit and run took
place rice paid his $5,000 Bond and was released the apparent race-based motive for Craig's murder developed further as
the investigation continued Sarah Graves had told detectives that Daryl deadmond was a
racist as she had heard him once say that he can't stand black people furthermore Witnesses had overheard dead
men and others yelling racial abuse at Craig refer to him in a derogatory Manner and chant the racist slogan white
power immediately after the attack however the youths involved remained tight lipped when questioned
about their interactions with Craig and their reasons for being in Jackson that night John Rice's attorney claimed that
the group had gone to Jackson to buy alcohol and not to harass or assault anyone despite these assertions
investigators sought to present the case as a hate crime but there wasn't enough
evidence for the district attorney to proceed down that path news of Craig Anderson's murder
outraged Jackson's black community prompting them to reach out to civil rights attorney Jody Owens the
second Owens worked for the Southern Poverty Law Center a not for-profit organization known for taking legal
action against white supremacists and other extremist groups in an effort to establish that
the crime was racially motivated Owens hired a private investigator to conduct an independent inquiry into Craig's
death a middle-aged white male was tactically chosen for the task as he would be able to circulate easily within
the communities where the suspects lived the pi discovered that the seven youths present for Craig's murder along
with several others had visited Jackson on multiple occasions to conduct what they had called
hunting the process involved searching the city for vulnerable black people to harass and
attack the investigator also discovered that darl Deadman had relatives who belonged to white supremacist
groups Jody Owens shared the findings with the FBI and 5 days after Craig's murder they opened an investigation of
their own they found out that a few weeks prior to Craig's death darl deadmond had
been robbed by a black man this supported the belief that the hit and run had been an intentional act
by dead men likely motivated by Revenge Craig Anderson's funeral was held 6 days after his death at his
former Parish the first H Park Baptist Church as requested by the Anderson family the service focused on
celebrating Craig's life rather than the brutal nature of his death and there was
no mention of hate or anger Craig's Sister Barbara spoke of her brother's love for cooking his sense of
fashion and his humor she called his death untimely and chose not to speak out against those
responsible Pastor Brian Richardson and his 17-year-old son Jordan were two of the few white people in
attendance Jordan attended Brandon High School with Daryl deadmond and had endured 2 years of violent bullying at
his hands partly because he had black friends earlier that year Deadman had been arrested and convicted of
misdemeanor harassment against Jordan and was on probation at the time of Craig's
murder on July 6 2011 darl Deadman was called back to court for a bond revocation hearing ing the prosecution
were now confidently calling the murder of Craig Anderson a hate crime after presenting the evidence that
supported their position the prosecution put forward that dead men had left the party in the early hours of June 26 with
the intention of going in search of a black person to attack Deadman's attorney rejected these
allegations but the judge was satisfied with the evidence presented and a Deadman's Bond was increased from
$50,000 to $800,000 unable to secure the payment Deadman was placed in police custody to
await trial by this stage the CCTV footage from the Metro wind parking lot had been
leaked to the press and broadcast on televised news reports throughout the country as a result dead man was
isolated in jail for his own safety meanwhile the assistant police chief told C and reporters that Craig's
death was an isolated incident and denied that the attack was part of a bigger story CNN also spoke with the Jordan
Richardson the teenager Deadman had been previously convicted of harassing Jordan said that dead men
always had a look of no no conscience and carried around this backpack of hatred Jordan's father Pastor Brian
Richardson told CNN he had warned his son about Deadman's volatility and had been worried that Deadman might go as
far as to kill Jordan Pastor Richardson had told the police it was painfully clear that
Deadman was going to injure someone severely or possibly kill someone other Brandon High School students told
CNN that Deadman and his friends bullied white classmates who had black friends and used the racist language in real
life and online he had protested at school when Barack Obama was elected America's first
africanamerican president and referred to him using racist insults on social media according to the students School
administrators mostly looked the other way as the racial hatred and bullying intensified when CNN contacted Brandon
High administrators a spokesperson told them that the school took bullying very seriously and had no record of any
incidents involving Deadman a former friend revealed that Deadman and his group were referred to
as the Brandon boys and were known for going out at night to Target black individuals Ken Johnson the manager of a
service station in Brandon where Deadman and his friends often hung out told SN that seemed like every word that came
out of their mouth was the nword Ken once told the group to mind their behavior after he overheard them
say that black people were taking over their town Ken told CNN Deadman made it well known that he
didn't like a gay or black people he talked about Jackson being a predominantly black City and said his
parents grew up and moved away because of all these black people many Brandon locals were outraged
that their town was being accused of racism and told reporters that they didn't view Craig Anderson's death as a
hate crime while they agreed that Deadman had violated the law they didn't believe he
had targeted Craig because of his race a white senior from Brandon High told the Jackson Free Press that the
residents of Brandon were very down to worth and that she was worried Craig's death would reflect poorly on them
quote Brandon is one of the top places to live in the country there is nothing bad about Brandon it's a shame the crime
happened Deadman's youngest sister told the New York Times West country and whoever comes
here we welcome everybody this whole thing is getting blown out of proportion Deadman's Uncle described his
nephew as a good boy from a happy go-lucky family who got involved with the wrong
crowd a relative of John rice Deadman's Co accused took to Facebook to say that Rice wasn't a murderer but had fallen
victim to trial by media and was suffering from quote Reverse Racism another Facebook user echoed this
sentiment writing if this was the other way around and a black guy ran over a white boy it
would not be a hate crime baseless rumors spread around Brandon that Craig's death was drug
related prompting Michael Teasley the white president of Jackson State University's chapter of the National
Association for the advancement of colored people to speak out Michael who was a reformed racist
himself stated it's much easier for Ranken County to blame the black man than take
responsibility for this crime right now the problem is in their churches homes and
schools this doesn't have anything to do with a drug deal gone bad they are looking for an excuse to make themselves
feel better Gerald Rose founder of the new water National human rights organization
said that the situation could be used to provoke level-headed discussions about race
relations quote when I saw the video I shed tears that could have been me or it could have been my
sons we want to call for a healing process and at the same time we are aware racism is still
alive I can't believe stuff like this is going on in the year 2011 on August 14 2011 more than 500 people
including clergymen elected officials and supporters of all Races gathered at the New Horizon Church in Jackson to
March against racial Injustice t-shirts were distributed amongst the protesters printed with the
slogan Not In My City they marched through Jackson singing We Shall overcome and This
Little Light of Mine before gathering in the Metro wi car park for a candl light
vigil Rabbi Valerie Cohen told the attendees we are here to unify and to teach ourselves and our children and
everyone out there that love is a better way to live we are here to get Beyond hatred Craig husband to James was in too
much emotional pain to attend to the vigil he told BuzzFeed news that following the murder he had purchased a
gun in fear that Craig's attackers would also come for him he blamed himself for not being with
Craig on the night he was killed saying I should have been there I always protected him that was my
job James lost his faith and stopped going to church and to work instead spending his days crying in bed with the
lights off and the curtains drawn as a result the couple's four-year-old adopted son went to live
with the james' mother James avoided the news as he didn't want to see the CCTV footage of
Craig's death one afternoon James was driving his adopted son to his mother's house when he said you can't go that way
that's where dead man killed Craig stunned James looked around and realized that they were passing the
metro in car park he asked his son how he knew what happened there to which the child
responded I saw it on TV almost 2 months after Craig Anderson's death darl Deadman's murder charge was
upgraded to capital murder under Mississippi Law a capital murder charge arises where the
circumstances of an unlawful killing includes one of a prescribed list of aggravating
factors the relevant aggravating factor in the Craig Anderson case was that Craig had been killed during the
commission of a robbery as Deadman had stolen his phone wallet and wedding ring if convicted of capital murder
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social media to obtain information the FBI discovered a culture of racism and a pattern of hate crimes committed by
Daryl Deadman and his friends in the weeks leading up to Craig Anderson's death since April 2011 the youths had
made multiple trips into Jackson or what they refer to as jaffria a racially derogatory portmanto combining Jackson
and Africa while there they harassed the black individuals whom they perceived to
be homeless or under the influence of drugs or alcohol as they believed beli D these targets would be less likely to
resist or report their attacks to police investigators uncovered four separate incidents involving some of the
youths present during Craig Anderson's attack on one occasion darl Deadman John Ross John bllac William Montgomery John
Ross's brother 20 year-old Robert Rice and 20-year-old Jonathan gas Camp drove into Jackson arm arm Med with a
handgun the group found an intoxicated black man alone near a golf course and beat him until he begged for his life
gas Camp also threatened to shoot the man on another occasion Deadman bllac Montgomery and the rice brothers were
driving through Jackson when they spotted a black male pedestrian near a gas station Robert Rice who was driving mon
G's Jeep accelerated in the direction of the man and nilly ran him down Witnesses said that if the man
hadn't moved he would have been HIIT another time bllac Montgomery the rice brothers and Shelby Richards lured
a black man into believing they wanted to buy drugs but instead bllac punched him in the
face the fourth incident involved bllac and Montgomery along with Dylan Butler who was also present on the night of
Craig's murder 21-year-old Joseph Dominic and an unnamed fifth person together they hled beer bottles
at black pedestrians causing one man to fall to the ground they also stopped at a sporting
goods store and purchased a slingshot then took turns shooting metal ball bearings at any black people they
encountered including those who were visibly impaired and a teenage boy riding his
bicycle the FBI also reined Sarah Graves the teenage girl who had been riding in
darl Deadman's Ford at the time of Craig Anderson's murder Graves had previously provided
the police with a summary of events leading up to the killing but admitted to the FBI that she had been lying about
her role on the night and had withheld information she now admitted to being one of the
main driving forces behind recruiting party goers to take the hunting trip into Jackson that
night she along with darl Deadman Shelby Richards and John Blac had encouraged others to join them for a trip into
jaffria to quote with some black people bllac also gathered up empty glass bottles from the party to use as
projectiles the FBI concluded that although the seven individuals who went into Jackson in the early hours of
Sunday June 26 might not have had a specific plan to kill they definitely intended to harm or
harass Montgomery had driven the Jeep into the city while bllac Butler and John Ross threw bottles at black
pedestrians when they spotted Craig Anderson Stranded by his locked car they perceived him as being
drunk after phoning Deadman's group to tell them to come to the parking lot bllac and rice approached Craig under
the guise of offering assistance they conversed with Craig in order to stall the situation until
Deadman Graves and Richards arrived in the Ford Richards encouraged her boyfriend
Deadman to assault Craig Ross threw the initial punch before Deadman continued the assault which left craig severely
battered but alive Deadman then got back in his car and drove over Craig while he and his
girlfriend shouted racial abuse out the window it remained unclear which of the youths in the Jeep first yelled out
white power but it was Deadman who repeated the chant the FBI also discovered that the
racial violence carried out by the young offenders was well known in Brandon in fact dozens of white teens from the area
knew about the group's actions but did nothing to stop them on September 6th 2011 Craig
Anderson's family filed a civil wrongful death suit against a Daryl Deadman John
rice Sarah Graves Shelby Richards William Montgomery Dylan Butler and a John bllac the suit alleged that while all
seven of the youths weren't directly responsible for assaulting and killing Craig they were all negligent because
they didn't try to stop the attack provide any assistance to Craig or call the police Craig's mother and siblings who
were listed as plaintiffs stated they would forever be deprived of Craig's Comfort services financial support and
companionship given that Mississippi didn't acknowledge same-sex marriage at the time James was unable to join the
family civil claim as he wasn't considered to have any legal standing in the matter while awaiting trial darl Deadman
penned a letter to his youngest sister in it he claimed that he had committed himself to Jesus and warned
her to stay away from trouble he blamed his actions on alcohol and his friendship group writing my
so-called friends got me in here as Dead Man's Capital murderer AR reignment approached Craig's Sister
Barbara wrote a letter to the district attorney on behalf of her family requesting that the death penalty be
taken off the table she explained that the Andersons were opposed to capital punishment in
part because of their Christian beliefs and because of its historic Association against people of
color the letter stated those responsible for Craig's death not only ended the life of a
talented and wonderful man they also have caused our family unspeakable pain and
grief but our loss will not be lessened by the state taking the life of another as ketta Scott King stated in explaining
her opposition to the death penalty an evil deed is not Redeemed by an evil deed of
retaliation executing Craig's Killers will not help balance the scales on September 21
2011 Deadman entered a plea of not guilty and was ordered to remain in custody until his trial commenced early
the following year in the months leading up to the event a dispute began over whether
Deadman should be tried in Jackson the prosecution wanted the trial to be held where the crime occurred as
the jury pool would be predominantly black but Deadman's lawyers wanted to move it to another jurisdiction with a
larger white population the debate came to an abrupt end when on March 21 2012 darl Deadman
pleaded guilty to the charge of capital murder he delivered a pre-prepared statement in which he apologized to the
Anderson family and asked for their forgiveness quote I take full responsibility for my
actions on that night I did a very malicious thing for no reason Deadman told the court that he
would was a changed man who had found religion since his arrest and said I was young and dumb ignorant and full of
hatred I chose to go down the wrong path Craig Sister Barbara delivered a statement to the court on behalf of her
family that read these last few months have been very difficult we cried we wept we
reminisced about our beloved brother Craig a loss I cannot even explain Craig was a big-hearted person
one who loved his fellow man caring family oriented and a big sense of humor my brother Craig would give you the
shirt off of his back we the Anderson family are praying for racial reconciliation not only in Mississippi
but all over this land and Country we are praying that the defendant Deadman and his family find
peace under Mississippi Law a defendant can be given a double sentence if their actions are found to be a hate
crime presiding judge Jeff whe did exactly that sentencing Daryl Deadman to two life sentences to be served
concurrently judge will stated Mr badman having heard your admissions the very walls of this
Courthouse cry out for justice you have admitted killing a Man simply because of
his race your Prejudice has brought shame upon you and placed a great stain on the state of
Mississippi whatever excuse you may offer for what you have done forget that there is no excuse you can offer to the
family of Mr Anderson or to your fellow mississippians who have to try to reconcile the horrible damage you have
caused all the hard work we have done to move our state forward has been stained
by you a stain which will take years to fade addressing the Anderson family directly judge will then
said know that mississippians think about this senseless crime the way you think about it with all her troubled
past the state of Mississippi stands with you today and condemns this despicable crime and says there is no
excuse for this after the sentencing the district attorney of Jackson said he expected
further charges to be placed against a dead men with more arrests to come quote this is just the
beginning that same day darl Deadman John Ross and Dylan Butler were all charged with one
count of conspiracy and one of committing hate crimes in violation of the federal hate crimes prevention Act
of 2009 these charges were in relation to their history of racially motivated crime including the murder of Craig
Anderson all three young men denied being racist or being raised to have a hatred of
African-Americans regardless the next day of March 22 2012 they each pleaded guilty marking the first time that the
hate crimes prevention act had ever been used in a case where the defendant's actions resulted in a victim's
death they appeared in court for sentencing in February 2015 3 years and 7 months after Craig
Anderson's murder judge cartton Reeves the second black federal judge in Mississippi's history
presided James prepared a statement to be read on his behalf during proceedings as he still couldn't bear to speak
publicly about his husband's murder it read you all don't have a clue what you have really done to my family in
committing this terrible crime James Craig Anderson was a great man he was a man who loved his family and was a great
provider to our son and me we had a great life and we miss him so much since his death our lives have been turned
upside down James spoke of the detrimental impact Craig's murder had on his own mental health his inability to work and
the challenges he had since faced as a single parent quote my heart gets so heavy at times
because I feel like a failure because I couldn't keep up the things Craig did for
us we were always there for each other we supported each other and we confided in each
other I wish none of you would ever see daylight again there is no room on Earth
for people like you judge carton Reeves delivered a long and Powerful sentencing speech that
touched on the state's troubled past with lynchings and racial Injustice quote on June 26th 2011 4 days short of
his 49th birthday the blood of James Craig Anderson was added to Mississippi's soil new generations have attempted to
pull Mississippi from the abyss of moral depravity in which it once so proudly floundered
in despite much progress and the efforts of the new generations these three defendants are before me
today they and their co-conspirators ripped off the scab of the healing scars of Mississippi causing her to bleed
again there is absolutely no doubt that in the view of the Court the victims were targeted because of their race the
simple fact is that what turned turned these children into criminal defendants was their joint decision to act on
racial hatred in the eyes of these defendants and their co-conspirators the victims were doomed
at Birth their genetic makeup made them Targets on top of the two life sentences
derald Deadman had received for the state capital murder charge judge Reeves sentenced him to an additional 50 years
in prison for his Federal hate crimes Deadman would first serve his 50-year sentence in a federal prison and
then be moved to a state facility to serve out his two life sentences John rice who had instigated
the unprovoked attack on Craig was given 18 years and 4 months imprisonment Dylan Butler who was
present but didn't participate was sentenced to 7 years acting Assistant Attorney General
Venita Gupta said that these sentences proved that the Department of Justice would vigorously pursue individuals who
committed racially motivated assaults and would quote cast a broad net to ensure that all who commit such acts are
brought to Justice William Montgomery who had driven in the Jeep on the night of Craig
Anderson's murder and had also participated in other Hunting Expeditions was also charged with one
count of conspiracy to commit a hate crime and one count of committing a hate crime he was sentenced to 18 years and 9
months in prison Jonathan gas Camp who participated in the gulf course attack and made threats to kill was also
charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of committing hate crimes he was sentenced to 4
years he was one of three people charged for their participation in the racist gang but who was not present for Craig
Anderson's murder another who was not present for Craig's murder Joseph Dominic struck a
deal to wave the grand jury indictment and in return pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit a hate
crime he was sentenced to 4 years judge cartton Raves acknowledged the Court's belief that if it wasn't for
Craig Anderson's death the youths would have returned to Jackson to continue their mission to
harm the remaining members of the racist gang John bllac Shelby Richards and Sarah Graves were each charged with
committing a hate crime against Craig Anderson which carried a possible life sentence they along with the John rice
were also charged with willfully conspiring to cause bodily harm to African-Americans in
Jackson bllac and Robert Rice also received charges for the attacks leading up to Craig's murder including for
carrying a firearm Shelby Richards and Sarah Graves faced additional charges for enlisting
others to commit hate crimes and in the case of graves for lying to the FBI to conceal the fact that the crime was
racially motivated bllac Robert Rice Richards and Graves cited drunken judgment youthful
foolishness and peer pressure from darl Deadman for their participation in the attacks they each pleaded not guilty and
were released on a $100,000 unsecured Bond pending trial however several months later all
four changed their PL to guilty prior to sentencing Sarah graves's mother Mary wrote to the court
asking for leniency saying that she didn't raise her daughter to be a racist unbeknown to Mary Sarah had
already written to the court to say that her racist views had formed during her childhood as her mother frequently used
hateful racist language at home Mary was questioned in court about the content of her daughter's letter but
she remained in denial insisting she raised her children right judge Henry Wingate said that
Graves couldn't make the excuse that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time
because she was in the place she wanted to be being the person she wanted to be but just didn't want to get
caught Craig's Sister Barbara addressed the graves and Richards saying you sat watched encouraged and
rallied around as my brother was beaten your thirst for the blood of an innocent
African-American caused you to pour more fuel on the fire Craig's husband James who had
mostly stayed silent during the court proceedings told the young women you texted everyone that night but
you couldn't call 911 you are as much to blame as if you'd been behind the wheel your babies
yourselves but I don't feel sorry for you you knew what you were doing Shelby Richards was sentenced to 8
years and Sarah Graves would serve five speaking outside of of Court graves's mother Mary said she believed
that presiding judge Henry Wingate was racist and should be taken off the bench graves's attorney agreed
saying I was dealing with a black judge who was showing racial hatred towards White defendants he was being a racist
everybody's racist I'm convinced of that sometimes they know it sometimes they don't know it
in response judge Wingate commented to the New York Times quote this notion of reverse
discrimination is one that has plagued racial progress the term usually signifies apathy for the rights bestowed
upon African-Americans rights already enjoyed by most whites during John bac's sentencing
hearing Pastor Brian Richardson testified on his behalf telling the court that bllac lacked a great deal of
self-esteem and wanted to fit in Pastor Richardson claimed that bllac had been bullied by the group and had
only joined them in order to survive adding that at least three teens had taken their own lives after being
bullied by the group bllac read a statement directed at Craig Anderson's family saying that he
wanted to make amends in any way he could and asked for their forgiveness judge Wingate wasn't
convinced that bllac had shown any real remorse and fully expected that he'd align himself with the racist groups
once in prison he urged Blac to prove his sincerity by rebuilding his character before sentencing him to 20
years eight Days Later Robert Rice who was not present on the night Craig was murdered but had participated in the
other attacks was sentenced to 10 years in addition to the wrongful death suit filed by Craig's family the Civil
Rights division of the justice department prosecuted a restitution case against the seven
defendants the foremost prominent members of the group darl Deadman John Ross John Butler and William Montgomery
were ordered to pay a collective amount of $840,000 in restitution to Craig's estate the amount was based on an
estimate of Craig's lost future earnings and was intended to ease the financial burden on his
family the outcome of the family's civil lawsuit is unknown on June 30 2015 on what would have been
Craig's 52nd birthday Jackson City Council passed a hate crimes ordinance requiring training and adequate
resources to help local law enforcement accurately report and document hate crimes committed in the
city the ordinance also required that an annual report be provided to the city council regarding the occurrence of hate
crimes in Jackson [Music] that year Jackson's annual report stated there were 36 hate groups operating in
Mississippi the metro in was in an area of Jackson troubled by drug use and sex work and there was speculation that the
motel may have played a role in Craig's attack Metro wind's owner Val Patel said
that the media had unfairly characterized his business he told the Jackson Free Press
that his Motel provided a service to lowincome families who had trouble finding affordable housing in the area
the metro in was the first business coming off the Interstate 20 the highway used by darl Deadman and William
Montgomery to drive from Brandon to Jackson the district attorney of Jackson theorized that Craig would have been the
first vulnerable black person that Deadman and his group came across it was purely an opportunistic attack and had
Craig been elsewhere the group would have targeted someone else Val Patel denied rumors that he had
sold the CCTV footage of Craig's murder to CNN but said that without it there would have been no evidence that it was
a racially motivated hate crime quote I formerly believe in the right cause and there is not one penny that
was involved other than the money that has killed me from a business point of view a local councilman called for the
motel to be permanently closed labeling it a public nuisance unable to recover from the
negative publicity the metro in permanently closed in 2017 on June 30 2020 on what would have been
Craig's 57th birthday Missippi passed a law to remove the Confederate emblem from the state
flag it was the last state in the US to retain the Confederate emblem a popular symbol amongst the white supremacists
that represents the war to uphold slavery a commission is developing a new flag design that includes the phas in
God we trust with Mississippi scheduled to vote on the new design in November 2020 since his husband's murder James
has worked to break the Deep rooted bigotry that insided the crime by teaching their adoptive son not to judge
people based on the color of their skin former victim of Daryl deadmond Jordan Richardson told the Jackson Free
Press that he didn't want the actions of his former bully to bolster racial stereotypes and tensions in his
community quote The Stereotype that anywhere you go in Jackson you better be looking over
your shoulder and in Brandon anywhere you go you are going to find rednecks the only way that can happen is
through a respons of love for one Community to the other of those convicted for the Jackson
race attacks very few have spoken publicly about their crimes John rice was willing to provide a comment to
BuzzFeed news for a price Joseph Dominic told the publication right now in society we're
in the most volatile times with racism but I've changed it's been a different experience in prison most of the black
guys in here know what I'm in for but they still love me William Montgomery refused to take
any personal responsibility for Craig Anderson's death and only felt sorry for himself
quote I lost my freedom family and everything else for a crime I didn't [Music] commit as of July
2020 Dylan Butler Joseph Dominic Jonathan gas camp and Sarah Graves have served their time and been released from
prison while the others remain Behind Bars darald Deadman is the only one of the 10 people involved in the Jackson
race attacks who is never expected to be released when sentencing Deadman in 2015 judge carton Reeves
said hate comes in all shapes sizes colors and from this case we know it comes in different Sexes and ages a
toxic mix of alcohol foolishness and unadulterated hatred caused these young people to resurrect the nightmarish
Spectre of lynchings and lynch mobs from the Mississippi we long to forget they prowed they came ready to
hurt they used the dangerous weapons they targeted the week they recruited and encouraged others to join in the
coordinated chaos and they boasted about their shameful activity like a lynching for these young
folk going out to jaffria was like a carnival outing it was funny to them an Excursion which culminated in the death
of innocent africanamerican James Craig Anderson on June 26th 2011 11 the fun ended what is so disturbing so shocking
so numbing is that these hunts were perpetrated by our children students who live among us educated in our public
schools in our private students who played football lined up on the same side of the
scrimmage line with black teammates average students and honor students kids who worked during school
and in the Summers kids who now had full-time jobs and some of whom were even unemployed some were pursuing higher
education and the court believes they each had dreams to pursue these children were from two
parent homes and some of whom were the children of divorced parents and yes some even raised by a single
parent no doubt they all had loving parents and loving families what could transform these
young adults into the violent creatures their victims saw it was nothing the victims did they
were not championing any cause political social economic nothing they did not a wolf
whistle not a supposed crime nothing they [Music] [Music] did

Case 159: James Craig Anderson

In the early hours of Sunday, June 26 2011, James Anderson, who went by his middle name of Craig, found himself in a predicament – he had locked his keys inside his car...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research – Holly Boyd Writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-159-james-craig-anderson

Brief Summary

The episode recounts the racially motivated murder of Craig Anderson in Mississippi and its aftermath, highlighting community and legal responses.

Key points

A Love Story. Craig and James's relationship blossomed in Jackson, despite societal challenges.
Tragic Incident. Craig Anderson was brutally attacked and killed in a parking lot.
Community Outrage. The murder of Craig Anderson sparked outrage in Jackson's black community.
Community March Against Injustice. Over 500 people gathered to march against racial injustice in Jackson.
Craig Anderson's Murder Investigation. The investigation into Craig Anderson's murder reveals a pattern of racial violence.
Daryl Deadman's Guilty Plea. Daryl Deadman pleads guilty to capital murder, apologizing to the Anderson family.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I love you.

Craig and James ended their call with these words.

2:44WatchOct 10, 2020

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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