"Skinheads" Reveal All On Web

CBS News Investigates: Web Postings Expose Racist Ideals Of Men Accused Of Plotting Killing Spree

(CBS)  CBS News Investigative Producer Pia Malbran wrote this story for CBSNews.com with additional reporting from The Early Show's Will Goodman.

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Personal Internet pages and web postings provide a disturbing glimpse into the racist minds of the two self-described "skinheads" who were allegedly plotting to carry out a mass killing spree that included beheading African-Americans and assassinating presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Yesterday, federal investigators announced the arrests of 20-year-old Daniel Cowart of Bells, Tenn., and 18-year-old Paul Schlesselman of West Helena, Ark., who were driving around in a car painted with swastikas and other white supremacist slogans while in possession of five stolen guns. Authorities are skeptical the men were a threat. They say there is no evidence of them actually trying to carry out an assassination, but during questioning the men allegedly told investigators they were preparing to kill 88 people "targeting a predominately African-American school, going state to state while robbing individuals and continuing to kill people." The men also allegedly said they wanted to “drive their vehicle as fast as they could towards Obama shooting him from the windows” while dressed in “all white tuxedos” and wearing “top hats.”

While the alleged plot may never have been carried out, both men have their own Myspace pages where they make a series of racist assertions and proudly tote their guns.

On his MySpace page, Schlesselman lists his occupation as “being racist” and writes “I’m white. I’m proud. I get angry. I like guns. I like weapons. I need money wiggers…be afraid.” "Wiggers" is a derogatory slang term used to describe a white person who emulates stereotypical mannerisms of African-Americans. He also posted a homemade video on MySpace in which he appears to be mocking "wiggers" and African-Americans.

He last logged onto his MySpace page on October 20 the same day, investigators say, Cowart traveled from Tennessee to Arkansas to meet with him and begin the alleged killing spree. On that day, Schlesselman listed his mood as “creative.”

Schlesselman also lists his cell phone number on his MySpace page. CBS News called the number. His voicemail first plays what sounds like a racist country song. Then, Schlesselman leaves a disturbing rant filled with profanities and racial slurs against African-Americans. He ends the message saying “white power.”

On Cowart’s MySpace page, there are a series of photos showing guns displayed in different positions titled “my guns.” In one photo, Cowart is holding a large rifle while wearing a sleeveless shirt. A swastika tattoo, typically associated with white supremacists, can be seen on his right arm. In another picture, he displays what appears to be an iron-cross symbol, often associated with racist skinheads, tattooed on his left chest. A message on his MySpace pages says: "Better to die quick fighting on your feet then to live forever begging on your knees."

(MySpace Page)

(MySpace Page)

CBS News traced Cowart’s email and discovered that he is a forum member of the website StormFront.org, reportedly the nation’s largest website for white supremacists known as "white-power." In January, Cowart posted a note on a message board titled “what to carry for protection in a car?” He wrote “I live in Tennessee and I carry a expandable/collapsible police baton with me nearly everywhere. It is 100% legal here but I doubt it is in Jew York City.” He continued, “I would carry a handgun, but as you know you must be 21 to do so. But I would go with the other suggestions of either a baseball bat, hammer, or some other tool.”

In another posting about slavery, he wrote: "Why buy a slave? Haven't we learned our lesson already? If we didn't bring slaves over here in the first place, would things be so bad now? I think not..."

Cowart and Schlesselman are being held without bond in Tennessee. They are scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday.

[tess126]

Memphis_65: That "big smile on McCain''s face" is the same smile you''d see if you had to visit someone in an asylum. It''s the smile of a desperate and delusional mind. And IF he was smiling because he had some advance knowledge of Obama being assasinated, that would make him both insane, and a terrorist sympathizer. Either way, his constant grinning and nervous laughter, along with the creepy smile he gets when he''s lying about Senator Obama, is NOT helping him.

UrbanWarrio1: You''re (not ''your'') an inbred, cowardly loser who has nothing to offer anyone, so go on skinhead site where you''ll fit in better.

[fortuenti]

Looks like these two suspects came right out of "AMERICAN HISTORY X." Just thinking that there are such hate-filled zealots out there is enough to make me cringe.

[twig221]

Sadly for some republicans, these extremists are in your party. Doesn''t it make you wonder what values you share with them? It is something that has never made any sense.

[disdain27]

I am a skinhead from Eugene Or correct me if I''m wrong but if you listen to reggae or any colored music your no skinhead friend of mine. I suggest you refrain from misleading the white people of the world.Kick Rocks mud

[djberson]

who cares what skinheads say? There are so relatively few, they are irrelevant and have no clout whatsoever. THEY are the real minority

[pharmdlb]

News commentators have been wondering why McCain is walking around with such a big smile on his face, even though he is so far down in the polls. Does he know of some game changer that none of the rest of us do?

Whatever it is, I just hope that it is not some advance notice that Obama will be assasinated before the elections. Because except for something like that, I don''t see how McCain could be so confident that he is still going to win.

[tess126]

Skinheads, KKK and all White Supremecists are Republican. I hope they are all being watched closely by the authorities. These same sickos think that Blacks would riot in the streets if McCain won--LOL--it''s the Whites who worry me (and yes, I''m white). All you have to do is go on ANY site visited by far-right Republicans and you''ll see the most viscious lies told (being Christian means nothing to these people; they lie through their teeth, then invoke the name of God to help ''their'' guy win.) And if you''re a Republican Politician, be careful. Dare to say anything bad about McCain and you will be excommunicated before you can blink an eye. THAT''S THE ONLY SIN that you can commit if you''re a Republican politician in the eyes of your cultish followers.

I''ve seen you all* lie through your teeth about Senator Obama, you jump around grabbing yourselves over Sarah Palin (the Anti-American Alaskan) and you keep trying to incite hatred of a remarkable American and his V.P choice. You keep preaching "Doom"! for the country if the American citizens choose Senator Obama on November 4th. And remember, since RNC Christians constantly remind the world that THEY will be going to Heaven, while the other 5 billion, or so, suffer forever in Hell, God will, of course, judge them far more severely.

*does not include the True Christians who haven''t born false witness against Senator Obama and his family.

[grvmstrj]

WE''RE ALL GONNA DIE!

[downsteamjim]

I have heard left wing bloggers here that are as loony as these skinheads. It''s a shame they couldn''t all just get together on some remote Pacific Island, play survivor, and leave the rest of us alone.

[cbullcom]

All you ignorant liberals trying to be "clever" equating these morons with republicans log off and go back to sucking *** in your mom''''s basement. I''''d love to see some of you try to say this to people''''s faces.

Posted by Cryos at 09:49 PM : Oct 28, 2008

Well Mr. Cryos are you stupid and yes I would say this to your face. Yes they got there ideas form stupid replublicans because all you spew is hate. And I would be glad to say this to your face just like I would say it to any skin head face, kkk, doesn''t matter, I would say it to anyone who is ignorant which is why I would like to say this to your face.

[bootsandbrac]

CONTINUED...

boneheads came out of the political turmoil and strife in 1980''s england with the miners strike, and war in argentina. the national front (which later merged with another nationalist group and became teh British National Party that exists today) recruited disenfranchised youths and turned them into storm troopers using the skinhead working class ethic and style but none of the jamaican roots and culture.

then in the late 80''s there was a group started in new york called S.H.A.R.P. (skinheads against racial prejudice) to root out and combat racists within hijacking our culture. rodney mullen the vocalist of the oi punk band The Oppressed took the SHARP ideal and brought it back to england and spread it. sharp while it''s intentions were noble to begin with has long since become just another tool to beat up people because they are different and i no longer support them for such. it''s not fair to label people such as us racist when we are not the first skinheads were jamaican.

[bootsandbrac]

These people are not skinheads they are what is commonly referred to in the skinhead culture as BONEHEADS they are nationalist thugs who only copy our look and none of our culture and history. it is media scumbags that post misinformation labeling such brigands as skinheads like this filth that gives us a bad name. your investigators need to do a proper job of investigating.

skinhead culture started in the late 60''s with the fracturing of the british mod culture into 2 groups suedeheads and hardmods (skinheads) suedeheads grew out their hair and adopted more high fashion stuff while the skinheads wore a more working class dress code since they were from working communities that couldn''t keep up with the pricey mod fashion and adopted jamaican rude boy style and culture and music mainly ska, rocksteady and early reggae (before the rastafarian black nationalism) which many songs are dedicated and speak about skinheads.

you irresponsible media scum obviously can''t get it through your thick heads. you make us traditional skinheads targets for violence because of your irresponsible and misinformaing journalism. you should be ashamed of yourself. skinhead culture is a pub culture, working hard for a living and hanging out with friends on weekends enjoying a few beers and some reggae tunes. POLITICS HAS NO PLACE IN SKINHEAD CULTURE, it is a personal choice what you believe in, you keep it to yourself

[notmudrose1]

those skinheads look alot like sarah palin''s kids.

[bragova]

chitown_639: Don''t be too relieved that these two are in custody; there are many thousands of others. I just looked at the main page of stormfront.org and am copying and pasting some stats from it:

Stormfront White Nationalist Community Statistics
Threads: 430,843, Posts: 5,383,563, Members: 145,070, Active Members: 23,557
Total guests that have visited the forum in the last 24 hours: 44,594

[skita45]

I think it is ashame that we just can''t get along. It really is time for a change. We are all part of something glorious. Lets just live and be happy!!

[denn034]

Before someone tries to equate the GOP with those supremacist boneheads, then, let me point out that those boneheads are socialists just like the Democrats and unlike the Republicans. Gnaw on that one.

[themassesi]

Ha! HA! HA! Ha! HA! You poor republicans, Sarah Palin has sold her skins for some TV time.

www.chilitoz.com is reporting that Sarah Palin has signed a deal with PlayBoy Magazine to posed partially exposed in a future release of the famous nudity magazine in exchange, Heffner will run a multi-million dollar anti Obama add a day before the election.

[rusome21]

Dear DoILookligaf, with all respect, I am a single college mom, and I''m sure you could pull some information about me and what I wrote and call me a socialist! Come on, we don''t know how it is to be of another race other than our own. Some of us didn''t grow up in poverty, or racial hate. So therefore, why should we go to some college look at someone''s thesis and denoucne them as racist? That is a time in each of our lives, that is if you have a degree, when we take notice to the unjustices, inequalities and try to build a strong picture as to what we should do when we graduate. As far as the church pastor idea, that is so funny because every church pressures ideas into one''s heads, abortion, being gay,capital punishment all these concpets in most churches are frowned upon, so should we say that you all are hyprocrits when you talk, vote on measures that go against your church. Remember I''m advocating political policies not who''s racist and under what measure. Look at their political plans, not their thesis from college.

[targaray-2009]

- STOP THE MADNESS - VOTE FOR CHANGE - 2008

[newlector]

These guys are terrorist. The government has to act according to the laws that apply to terrorist foreign or domestic. Let send them to Guantanamo, they are not better than Osama Bin laden, they are the same ***, their ideals are to kill, destroy, disturb the peace
Terrorize people who doesn''t look, think and act as they are and do.