Reputed Klansman Convicted In 1964 Murders

James Ford Seale, 71, Faces Life In Prison For Charges Related To Deaths Of 2 Black Teens

(AP)  A federal jury on Thursday convicted reputed Klansman James Ford Seale of kidnapping and conspiracy in the 1964 deaths of two black teenagers in southwest Mississippi.

Seale, 71, had pleaded not guilty to charges related to the deaths of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee. The 19-year-olds disappeared from Franklin County on May 2, 1964, and their bodies were found later in the Mississippi River.

Federal prosecutors indicted Seale in January almost 43 years after the slayings. When he is sentenced Aug. 24, he faces life in prison on the two counts of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy.

The prosecution's star witness was Charles Marcus Edwards, a confessed Klansman. During closing arguments earlier in the day, prosecutors acknowledged they made “a deal with the devil” but said that offering immunity to a Edwards to get his testimony against Seale was the only way to get justice.

Edwards testified that he and Seale belonged to the same Klan chapter, or “klavern,” that was led by Seale's father. Seale has denied he belonged to the Klan.

Edwards testified that Dee and Moore were stuffed, alive, into the trunk of Seale's Volkswagen and driven to a farm. They were later tied up and driven across the Mississippi River into Louisiana, Edwards said, and Seale told him that Dee and Moore were attached to heavy weights and dumped alive into the river.

“Those two 19-year-old kids had to have been absolutely terrified,” U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton told jurors, who sat quietly.

In its closing arguments, the defense asserted that Seale should be acquitted because the case was based on the word of an “admitted liar.”

“This case all comes down to the word of one man, an admitted liar, a man out to save his own skin,” federal public defender Kathy Nester said. “A case based on his word is no case at all.”

In the final part of closing arguments, federal prosecutor Paige Fitzgerald rebutted Nester's claims that Edwards could not be trusted. Fitzgerald also suggested that Seale's own words incriminated him.

“Let me tell you about one man's word. 'Yes. But I'm not going to admit it. You're going to have to prove it,”' Fitzgerald said, repeating a statement that a retired FBI agent testified he heard Seale make after being arrested on a state murder charge in 1964. That charge was later dropped.

The defense claimed that the prosecution failed to prove key elements needed for conviction and didn't establish that Seale had crossed state lines while committing a crime, which is vital because that's what gives the federal government jurisdiction.

Lampton described for the jury how Dee and Moore were hitchhiking, stopped by Klansmen and taken to a forest where they were beaten. Klansmen were trying to find out if blacks were bringing firearms into Franklin County, Lampton said.

“Henry Dee and Charles Moore didn't know ... why they had been singled out and brought back in the forest,” Lampton said.

[textrish]

Fartknocker2
You said: "But don't just ask of one to be abolished..If one goes then they all go and then who decides who that is ??? You ?? Me ??
Hope not".

Why not abolish them all? Racial attacks be it verbal or otherwise are just Wrong, not matter how you demonstrate the prejudice. ...if you can't decide who that is, I'll be glad to...(just kidding).

kailumego1

Your absolutely right. For 100's of 1000's of years we have been committing attrocities toward each other in the name of race, religion, greed etc. When will we be moral enough to stop the madness?

cantshutup

I agree, let's just drop him in the river. But give me time to draw a crowd to enjoy the view.

[radiob-2009]

Posted by kailumego1 at

Telling the truth like it is, commendable in this day and age. Never lose sight of your conscience and let it always guide you. Shine On.

[kailumego1]

Research history thousands died at the hands of Europeans when they invaded Northern Africa, and gained control of the Suez Canal, likewise, millions of black Africans died, 11 million at the hands of the Belgium's and King Leopold, not to mention the millions that died during the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, i.e. "Middle-Passage" in the Caribbean Islands [individuals were buried alive with stakes driven into the flesh, bodies mutilated and decapitated, hands, limbs, and other body parts savagely mutilated]. Young African males were used for the se@ual pleasures of perverted English, Portuguese, Spainards, etc., which they were sodomized.

Women and men were forced to wear an "iron-muzzle" to prevent them from speaking and eating, which a piece of spiked iron was placed inside their mouths, as with the slightest movement the iron spike would pierce the tongue and mouth cavity.

This cruel, barbaric form of punishment was use to thwart the slave from stealing food, or speaking back, etc.

On board the slave ship men, women, and children were often thrown over-board as punishment, or simply to "lessen the load".

And for those that sought suicide to escape this brutality if captured they were beaten so severely as flesh was torn savagely from their bodies.

[cantshutup]

They ought to drop this old bass terd in the river like he did to those poor kids...life in prison for a 71 yr old f a r t?? Splash...kerplunk...problem solved! bye bye you old rat bass terd!

[kailumego1]

Not only were sworn police officers a part of the "ghost" brigades, they often took part in hunting down, illegal invasion of privacy, dragging off innocent men, women and children, of which they willfully took part in the slaughter[lynching].

And to top it off the Federal Government knew exactly what was occurring but didn't lift a finger until it became internationally known.

It's amazing how certain individuals are quick single-out Arabs, blacks, etc. as terrorist, when white settlers, KKK, Nazis, etc. have/had committed the most barbaric and grotesque terrorist acts of all human-kind than any other group/race/ethnicity.


While I'm against any religious group that uses violence as a measure of "religious-ethnic cleansing", I absolutely deplore hypocritical individuals who mask their own "seeds of degradation" through circumvention and projection.

Western Europeans and their descendants are not exempted from this equation of terrorism, they have laid the foundation of terrorism through imperialism and hegemony over Africa, the Americas, India, China, etc., so making a comparison between Al-Qaeda and the KKK is not stretching the truth.

As a matter of fact the atrocities committed by Western Europeans and their descendants have been far, far, worst.

[rushman71]

whatithink: Not to argue with you, but the big difference between kkk and Al Qaeda is that the klan didn't go out of their way to blow themselves up with whoever ends up surrounding them for the sake of Allah. The klan jerks might have been pretty danm stupid to kill innocent people period for their own "white power". Honestly, I think their "power" is about to go out.

"The sad part about all of it was that police officers, who were sworn to protect and serve, where many times a part of the klan. This was one of the reasons why many blacks grew to distrust the police department." This I will agree with you.

[whatithink-2009]

FARTKNOCKER2,

You are comparing individuals to organizations. I don't get it? Why only Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson? Why not David Duke or Trent Lott or Jesse Helms or Sthrom Thurman? All of the above have used race as a strong point behind there platforms. Why do you mention Sharpton and not David Duke?

[whatithink-2009]

Far_point200,

The Klan did a lot more than just marching. If all the klan did was marching or making speeches, then there wouldn't be a problem with them. You should read the history behind the klan and the horrible things that they did to fellow American citizens. They are a terrorist organization and if they deserve to march, then so to should Al Qaeda. They are no better.

[whatithink-2009]

rushman71,

Terrorists are terrorists. That is what makes the klan like Al Qaeda. The Klan terrorized American citizens and killed innocent people because of a sicko ideology. How does that not make them like Al Qaeda? The sad part about all of it was that police officers, who were sworn to protect and serve, where many times a part of the klan. This was one of the reasons why many blacks grew to distrust the police department.

[mediabrat60]

Edwards has immunity but unfortunately has probably already sealed his fate. I hope he goes under the witness protection plan! Seal got his just rewards. I can't believe people actually think they can get away with this ***! Don't they know somewhere down the line they are going to get what they deserve.....!

[renwoman1]

Textrish,

I know it's hard but you've already started in the right direction. A philosophical person would state that, like ripples on a still lake, these will spread and grow and eventually the still lake will no longer be still. Keep in mind how far we have come since the Civil War. Indeed, think how far we have come since the 1960's. And that's less than 50 years ago.

There will always be some idiot who will be prejudiced or bigoted and we can't stop it entirely. But everything that we do are like the ripples on the lake.

Just give things time.

[far_point200]

We tolerate demogogery because we have and chearish freedom of speech. That's why the KKK can march and Al Sharpton can make living.

[textrish]

Renwoman1

Your absolutely right. Actually, I do teach my children not see color and to treat all people based on their individual actions. My children are friends with kids of all races, including sleepovers and "dating"(which means hanging out at middle school.).

But, that just doesn't seem to be enough. There is SO much prejudice still today. The biggest problem is the people in authority such as Teachers, Policemen, EMS, Politicians, Judges, etc., that let their prejudices effect the way they interact with people while doing their jobs. This is why so many innocent people are wrongly accused etc. Children who need help in class are ignored. Police are quicker to get physical with a minority. The list is endless.

[mygramma]

aretham, can't you read?? I never made a nasty statement about any black people. I was simply observing that Seale deserves the worse kind of death in retribution for murdering two black boys 40 years ago. Read my statement on the previous page of comments. Sheesh !!

asor1 wrote:

"Why is the KKK still allowed "freedom" in this great country of ours? Did I miss something, or are they not a HATE group?"

Agreed. They exist to instill fear into minority groups - they are no better then terrorists and should be treated as such.

[dmk3]

Elgraz,
No, blacks aren't owed anything, and that chip you see on our shoulders is called pride.Proud to be black, proud to be who we are. We aren't taking anything out on today's whites. What does that mean? Why are you so angry? The man killed 2 innocent people in such a inhumane way, he should be punished. If it was yesterday or 50 years ago. We all deserve to be treated equally. No one is asking for special treatment. Chill.

[slim1h2o]

The only problem I see is, they used a known liar
to achieve a guilty verdict.
You know he said/she said. They should have more/better evidence.

Also if he did do it, then punishment can't come fast enough.

[nolalou]

Slim1h2o,

There is no statute of limitations on kidnaping and murder. I belive they did get the right guy, since when he was arrested years ago, he told the FBI "'Yes. But I'm not going to admit it. You're going to have to prove it".

[asor1-2009]

Why is the KKK still allowed "freedom" in this great country of ours? Did I miss something, or are they not a HATE group? Why do we need them when we are trying so desperately to atone for those past horror-filled racial events.

[slim1h2o]

Sorry mygramma,
Just making an oppservation, thats all.

I wasn't attacking you.