West Virginia Woman Speaks About Torture

Black Woman Tortured By Six White Men And Women Urges Filing Of Hate-Crime Charges

(AP)  Megan Williams thought she was going to a party.

That's why she tagged along with a woman she hardly knew, up a remote southern West Virginia hollow to a run-down trailer surrounded by beer cans and broken-down furniture.

"But there wasn't no party," Williams said. "I realized I'd made a bad mistake."

For at least a week, authorities say, the 20-year-old black woman was kept captive in a shed, tortured, beaten, forced to eat rat, dog and human feces, and raped by six white men and women who taunted her with racial slurs.

"They just kept saying 'This is what we do to niggers down here,'" Williams told The Associated Press in one of her most extensive interviews since the shocking case made national headlines last month.

Seated in a rocking chair in her mother's living room, about 50 miles from that shed, the slight woman with cocoa-colored skin says she was hopelessly outnumbered by people who just wanted to hurt a black person.

"I just hope they fry for what they did to me. That's really all I got to say," she said. "I hope they fry."

West Virginia does not have a death penalty, but the six suspects could spend the rest of their lives in prison if convicted of rape and kidnapping charges.

Still, Williams and her family want more. They want the case prosecuted as a hate crime, something authorities have so far stopped short of doing.

A coalition of civil rights organizations and black leaders are now uniting behind the Williams family, organizing a hate-crime awareness march for Nov. 3 in Charleston in hopes of pressuring prosecutors to act.

"This case deserves national concern and national outrage," said Malik Shabazz, co-founder of Black Lawyers for Justice.

Prosecutors have backed off state hate-crime charges, saying they only carry an additional 10-year maximum penalty and could complicate their case. For one, hate crimes typically involve strangers, and Williams knew one of the suspects. She filed a charge of domestic assault against him in July.

Williams has been advised not to discuss anything about her prior dealings with the suspects, or the more graphic details of her experience.

But when Williams does detail her alleged torture, it comes in fits. Horrifying, disjointed memories of all that she allegedly endured spill forth while she fidgets and frowns.

"They braided some switches together and beat me across the back," she said.

"They tore my clothes off of me and everything, and then they took me up to the lake and they said that was the place they were going to cut my throat and throw me in," she said.

Williams looks off into the distance at the end of each recollection. She often falls quiet, reverting to yes and no answers, each response softly punctuated with "ma'am."

At times, she reaches up to touch her scalp, where her hair was cut off and yanked out during her ordeal.

Megan's adoptive mother, Carmen Williams, said her daughter is "not at full capacity" mentally and easily trusted others.

"She's a little slow, so it's kinda hard for her to comprehend sometimes," she said. "So I think that played a big part in it."

Suspects in the case have outlined a series of sexual crimes.

Statements from Frankie Brewster and her son Bobby Brewster allege that Williams was forced to perform oral sex on Frankie Brewster under threat of death, that she was forced to perform oral sex on Danny Combs at knifepoint, that she was made to lick their toes, raped and humiliated.

"They said I was never going to see my family again," Megan Williams said.

It was that fear that led her to cut her duct-tape constraints with a knife she had hidden away. She then hung her tiny arms out of the small window of the shed she was kept in, yelling for help.

Williams says "a guy named Eddie" heard her calls, and she believes he called for help. Within hours, deputies responded to an anonymous tip, and came to the Brewster trailer asking for Williams by name.

She has no doubt that if the police hadn't shown up, she would be dead.

Memories of the captivity haunt Williams in the form of terrifying dreams.

"Every time I close my eyes all I see is that knife. The one they kept stabbing me and stabbing me with," she said. "I was screaming, I was crying and they were kicking me."

Large scabs cover her left leg, where her ankle was cut and her thigh was stabbed three times, and she still walks with a slight limp.

She has received hundreds of cards and gifts from as far away as Iraq. She hopes to use donations to her trust fund to obtain her GED and attend college. She speaks of becoming a nurse's assistant.

She is slowly gaining weight, and her face lights up when asked about her favorite food.

"Ribs, from Save-a-Lot," she says, grinning. Then she looks to her mother and laughs.

[ntimion]

I can''t believe people are arguing about the particulars of a crime when atrocities like this one are being committed--PERIOD!!! I get angry just like anyone else over all KINDS of issues, but when did it become acceptable to TORTURE someone for one''s own amusement or the amusement of others? I think ANYONE regardless of race, social status, income, etc., should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for such acts. We need to get past all our own personal issues and have compassion toward anyone who has been a victim of violence and hatred and start reaching out to each other. My heart goes out to all the victims of hatred and their families all around us. God bless all of you and I pray that you recover.

[deal_faster]

2007. Knoxville,TN. The crime: The robbing, kidnapping, rape, torture, mutilation, and murder of a young white couple by a group of blacks.

Reaction from the mainstream media: Silence.

Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins, and George Thomas, with assistance from a female accomplice, allegedly took a leisurely four days to violently and repugnantly kill Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom, both in their early twenties. Before they met their tragic end at the gang''s hands, both were raped and maimed for days. To give you some perspective on the level of violence committed upon them, Newsom''s *** organ was severed and he was burned to death as Christian was reportedly forced to watch. The gang then repeatedly raped her for several more days before eventually severing her breasts and killing her. (jessicaswell.com)

This is not meant to diminish what happened to Megan Williams in WV, or in any way to excuse the sick twisted creeps who did it. Rather it is to show a real example of the difference in how it is reported%u2014or not. If you are outside Knoxville, then you have probably heard nothing of this horrific story. The national media refused to cover it. It was not politically correct.

www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0507/0301_channon_christian.html

The similarities in these two cases are that they were perpetrated by sadistic criminals whose victims were a different race. I hope that justice prevails and they are sent up for good for both of these despicable crimes.

[shern420-2009]

Her mother said that she is "slow," that doesn''t mean that she is mentally impaired enough to the point that she has the mind of a child. I seriously doubt that she thought that she was attending any type of kid''s party.

This kind of mess doesn''t happen ALL over the place or ALOT. These cases are very rare. Some need to stop blowing these hate crimes out of proportion and trying to make it out like this goes on ALOT and all over the place. These people were backwoods ignorant people with little or no education and racists. Drugs is NO excuse for doing what they did to her period!

Most in WV are not like these nutjobs. As the same can be said for most in the USA don''t have the sickening minds as these folks do.

Thank God the girl made it out of there alive and will NEVER EVER have to be subjected to living in fear of that trash again.

[grammawhamma]

This poor poor girl. What these evil people did to her sickens me. They aren''t even good enuf to be called animals.

I guess I don''t understand what difference it matters if it is a hate crime. Crime is crime...and most crimes are hateful to the victims. Does it matter to the victims if it was caused by race or homophobia?

[michellem99-2009]

What I see is the non handicapped picking on and bullying a handicapped person. Yer forget we are everywhere. True her caretaker didn''t check out the so called party . I grew up in small town where we know every one in the town. I LEARNT not to trust everyone. It is sad the world is like this. I would not call Miss Williams backwards just poorly schooled. She was raised with a good heart and they broke it but their evilness. Not all white folks do this. The rapers hang them.

[toolmangler-2009]

No you don''''t, you''''re only saying so to not appear racist, of which you could really care less if she recovers or not, so stop fronting and tell the truth..

Posted by kailumego1 at 06:00 PM : Oct 24, 2007


Youn went over the top on this one, the poster did not deserve that. You and I have been on both sides B4 but unless you are a ''mind reader'' you cannot say that with the truth behind your words.

[kailumego1]

cmp271; "I hope she gets over this as I hope the white kid does too."

No you don''t, you''re only saying so to not appear racist, of which you could really care less if she recovers or not, so stop fronting and tell the truth..

[kailumego1]

cmp271 you are insane how can you equate this story with what happened to those Duke degenerates, totally off base.

Yes the six black students attacking the one white was unquestionably wrong, as was the hanging of nooses to intimidate and drive fear, but the Duke case, oh my GOD give up the "ghost"...

The Duke case, there is absolutely no comparison between the this and the other two incidents...

The "Duke boys" weren''t physically or psychologically harmed, as a matter of fact they''re a lot better off, considering that "fat hefty" 30,000,000 for nothing...

They got off a lot better than other defendants falsely accused of a crime they didn''t commit..

[cmp271]

If this is tried as a hate crime then the Jena 6 had also better be tried as a hate crime. Those 6 black kids randomly chose a white kid to beat up. THAT is also a hate crime against whites.

I hope she gets over this as I hope the white kid does too.

Not to mention the hate raised against the Duke kids by Sharpton and Jackson. They also need to be tried for perpetuating the violence threatened at these innocent kids throught the black panthers who also should be tried.

[michellem99-2009]

I AM A MAINE HILLBILLY. Yes this happen every where. It does not have to. It is form of hate and a power control to bully and rape..I We are one race and that is the human race. The golden rule..No one has the right to abuse a handicapped person.child,senior,any one in the manner of any abuse. I know the mind of a bully..

[dlsdjs13]

What is wrong with some of you? You''re comments about W.V. are just wrong and nasty. Did you forget that you are also insulting the poor girl that was kidnapped and her family because they are also from W.V. There are murderers, rapists, thieves and just sick people everywhere. West Virginia is a beautiful state with some of the most caring people in the world.
I hope the ones did this crime never see daylight again. As for Megan Williams I hope peace is able to come to her one day and she doesn''t have to keep reliving this horrible time in her life.

[name_verify]

Hillbilly heroin users get anti-social when they run out of junk.

[kailumego1]

crzmeat, obviously your rational thought process has taken a "vacation", because this woman lacks the mental capacity to make a rational and informed decision, and that includes going willingly to a party..

She is mentally impaired, what part of the story don''t you understand, she thinks as a child, and probably thought she was legitimately going to a "child''s party", this is what makes this story even more insane and sorted..

These human excrements, knowingly, took advantaged of a mentally impaired and defenseless person...

So, you''re innane and insane argument "she went to the party unmolested" is upsurbed, this young woman was incapable of conceiving or knowing what lied behind door number 1.

Are you that psychologically inept to comprehend?

[thrisonly1]

To the indivdiuals repeating over and over that "there is more to this story" ...

"Deputies found her with two black eyes, part of her hair had been pulled out, she had lacerations on her neck and she had been physically, mentally and sexually abused," said Sheriff W.E. Hunter.


In custody are Frankie Brewster, 49; her son Bobby, 24, both of Pecks Mill, West Virginia; Danny J. Combs, 20, of Harts, West Virginia; and George A. Messer, 27, Karen Burton, 46, and her daughter, Alisha Burton, 23, all of Chapmanville, West Virginia.

"They all have previous records and have been arrested numerous times," Hunter said. "They are familiar to law enforcement."

Get the facts before spreading what is commonly referred to as "venom" sparked by ignorance.

[MARKINNYC]

What this poor girl suffered is beyond appalling. These creatures who did this to a mentally handicapped person (or any person) are vile and horrid beyond my ability to describe them!

This is clearly a hate crime but the prosecutors "don''t want to complicate the case" by trying it as such? How can they dare say that to this girl, or to the world? Is this laziness or just plain negligence and derilection of duty?

Why does W.VA., seem to have the image of a backward state filled with people who are racist, poorly educated, and vicious in their hatred and distrust of anyone and everyone who they percieve as "different" from their incest-ridden, fetal alcholism syndrome suffering peers? Apparently, because it''s accurate!

California may be burning now, but I''ll take our fires any day versus the hellish ignorance and hatred and apathy that seems to be so prevalent W.Va., and some of the neighboring states in that part of the US.

[MARKINNYC]

The horror this poor girl went through is beyond appalling and it is clearly a hate crime. The idea that such people as her abductors exist & act out their racial rage makes me sick. The stereotypical image of W.VA. seems confirmed, again. Hardly the most progressive of states. Will this poor girl ever get the therapy and help she''ll need to recover from such a horror? Not if she has to rely on W.VA. state mental health aid, she won''t! Hope someone guides her to use the donations to move out of W.VA., and build a life somewhere that isn''t still trapped in 19th century racism and hatred as W.VA repeatedly seems to be.

[MARKINNYC]

The horror this poor girl went through is beyond appalling and it is clearly a hate crime. The idea that such people as her abductors exist & act out their racial rage makes me sick. The stereotypical image of W.VA. seems confirmed, again. Hardly the most progressive of states. Will this poor girl ever get the therapy and help she''ll need to recover from such a horror? Not if she has to rely on W.VA. state mental health aid, she won''t! Hope someone guides her to use the donations to move out of W.VA., and build a life somewhere that isn''t still trapped in 19th century racism and hatred as W.VA repeatedly seems to be.

[whatithink-2009]

Let alone that one of the women had already spent time in prison for killing somebody...but ONLY FIVE YEARS. Shameful.

And, that one of the women LIED to the police when they came checking on whether this woman was there.
Shameful.

What more to the story is needed to make it okay to torture another human being and a mentally handicapped human being at that?
Shameful.

[whatithink-2009]

crzmeat,

What more to the story do you need to justify making someone eat dog feces and perform o-r-a-l s-e-x on ugly women?

[Krazcarl]

whatitdosen''tthink...I''m done it''s over you know everthing in the world and I''m just lucky to be chatting with you. Lets wait and see the real story it will come out. There''s more to this story you''ll see.