Slain Miss. man's kin ask no death penalty

James Craig Anderson / Personal Photo

JACKSON, Miss. - The sister of a black Mississippi man killed in what authorities have labeled a hate crime is asking prosecutors not to pursue the death penalty against anyone accused.

Authorities say James Craig Anderson, 49, was targeted because of his race and run over by a white teenager in a pickup truck on June 26. His death, captured on a hotel surveillance video, stoked anger across the country when the footage was made public.

Anderson's sister, Barbara Anderson Young, wrote to Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith saying her family doesn't want anyone to face the death penalty. She cited the family's Christian beliefs and opposition to capital punishment.

"Those responsible for James' death not only ended the life of a talented and wonderful man," says her letter, dated Tuesday. "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."

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Smith told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the family's wishes are "a very strong consideration that will weigh heavily in our decision."

Young is involved in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from her brother's slaying. A message left Wednesday with her lawyer wasn't immediately returned. The lawyer, Winston Thompson, has said the family doesn't want to talk to reporters.

Young wrote in the letter that it speaks for her, her mother and two brothers.

"We also oppose the death penalty because it historically has been used in Mississippi and the South primarily against people of color for killing whites. Executing James' killers will not help balance the scales. But sparing them may help to spark a dialogue that one day will lead to the elimination of capital punishment," the letter says.

Deryl Dedmon, 19, was arrested on a charge of capital murder, which is punishable by death or life without parole. He has not been indicted and it will be up to a grand jury to decide on the formal charges. Capital murder in Mississippi is defined as a murder that happens during the commission of another felony. The underlying offense in this case is the alleged robbery of Anderson.

Police say that Dedmon and a group of teens had been partying late that night in suburban Rankin County when he asked a group of them to go out looking for a black man to "mess with." Seven people allegedly loaded up in two cars and headed to Jackson.

Investigators say Dedmon and John Aaron Rice attacked Anderson before Dedmon climbed into a green Ford F-250 with two teenage girls and ran Anderson down.

Rice is charged with assault. Police say he left the scene just seconds before Dedmon was run over.

The young men's lawyers say their clients were not involved in a racially motivated attack. Dedmon's attorney has said it was an accident. Rice's lawyer, Samuel Martin, has said Rice was actually trying to help Anderson, who had locked his keys in his car, before Dedmon arrived.

Martin has also suggested during court hearings that the teens were on a beer run that morning, not looking for anyone to harass or assault.

The surveillance video, obtained by The Associated Press and other media, shows a white Jeep Cherokee in which Rice was allegedly a passenger leaving a hotel parking lot at 5:05 a.m. Less than 20 seconds later, a Ford truck backs up and then lunges forward. Anderson's shirt is illuminated in the headlights before he disappears under the vehicle next to the curb.

The FBI also is investigating the case.

[wizardlady]

The family of the slain person should carry first choice in the prosecution of this case. Someone, somewhere, must take a stand to change our barbaric ways of murdering people and telling ourselves that it is ok to take a life. Just because you wear a badge, or a uniform, and have an order to pull a lever or fire a weapon, does NOT mean you are not a MURDERER, does it? Would those who are saying "kill him" also say "kill" the unborn child? Probably not, but murder is murder, no matter who does it, or their reasons for doing it.

IF YOU DON'T STAND FOR SOMETHING, YOU WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING!

[mask2697]

nice job using a movie quote in there... also death would be acceptable especially in a painful way as punishment but I actually agree that if the family believes in not giving the death penalty then that is there right, since it was there family member who was killed which makes it there right to go for life in prison

[SeattleGaddy]

OMG!! I just thank God that this has not happened in my family...it is interesting to read this story and I can't believe how "forgiving" black people are when such a "good person" is killed for no reason except the color of his skin... is this really working for Black people, is being a "christian" a part of this? OJ Simpson was tried and found liable for the death of Ron Goldman. Will this defendant have to pay restitution for the senseless killing of this young man? I think he should.

[jdbynum3]

My heart goes out to these people for their loss. That being said, I still believe that there is no injustice for putting a bad animal down. We do it every day with rabid dogs and the like. The animal that killed this young man is clearly no better than that and needs to be put down. I know it won't change any facts but it will stop him from killing again in the future and causing this terrible, terrible pain to someone else.

[mask2697]

giving him life in prison amounts to the same thing as giving him death, both stop him from doing this again as life without parole keeps him in a 8x10 (or something like that) box where he will spend the rest of his life in

[nomorelibs]

What I don't get is why people are so against the death penalty. Isn't being in jail the rest of your life worse than death?

[gsdrescue]

The only reason that the so called top cop in chicago says that the crime rate is down is by the Uniform Crime Report that is put out by The FBI, here is how it works, the less people the less crime, and the only way crime is reoprted is for people to get envolve in there neighborhood folks need to report crime. Dont the mayor or this new top cop fool the city of chicago crime is on the rise and for reasons, no jobs, higher taxes, high gas prices, higher tolls, company's moving to other states cause of the high taxes. if they let cops be cops instead of polictical puppets chicago will be a great city, to the mayor and top cop, you guys have no clue.

[mask2697]

brian in fact you are the one without a clue, most cops are not corrupt and its the FBIs job to stop corrupt cops, and there are plenty of clean cops in this nation, you just watch to many movies about when they were once corrupt, that was about 60 years ago, you need to catch up to the fact that 90% of cops are not corrupt and do there job right, and about .5% are corrupt...

[Lerianis4]

The best way to stop things like this is by teaching children VERY early that they DO NOT have the right to force their personal likes and dislikes on other people, that the color of someone's skin does not make them lesser than themselves, etc.

The death penalty does nothing, because most of these crimes (even hate crimes) are done spur of the moment when (somehow) someone severely angers another person.

[longtree-2009]

the sister and the other do gooders are only condoning further attacks and killings. no one can forgive the killers except the victim and they silenced him forever. this christian and others are just silly. no one has the right to murder another no matter the reason.

[askagain]

The part that bothers me is the political statement the family wishes to make about capital punishment. It appears that part of their motivation is to eliminate capital punishment. Sympathy for this family should not be a basis for eliminating capital punishment. The determination of whether capital punishment is applied should be determined by the severity of the crime, compliance with state laws regarding punishment, and what is best for society, not the family's wishes.

[joannerichardson5]

There is no evidence from the article that the family of the victim is using their tragedy as a political platform to end the death penalty; all the article says is that they expressed to the DA that they do not believe in capital punishment and do not want it carried out in this (or any) case. While I, too, am opposed to the death penalty, I agree with you that the law exists to secure justice for society as a whole, and not individuals or groups of individuals. Judges and juries should follow the law and not their hearts when deciding verdicts and punishments.

[askagain]

joannerichardson5 - The following paragraph came from the article. The last line sounds like a political statement about the family wanting to eliminate capital punishment.

"We also oppose the death penalty because it historically has been used in Mississippi and the South primarily against people of color for killing whites. Executing James' killers will not help balance the scales. But sparing them may help to spark a dialogue that one day will lead to the elimination of capital punishment."

[LosAngelesCA]

The family's wishes should be carried out. Part of this punishment is to try and make them as whole as can be. The defense attorney has already lost. I saw the crime tape and I never ever want to see it again. I can not believe that there are such vicious people in this world. I want the family to have a major say in this criminal's punishment. It's their right. It was their family member.

[nomorelibs]

Do you support the rights of victim's families that do not oppose the death penalty?

[marscapone99]

A voice that speaks kindness is a thousand times louder than a voice that speaks of vengeance. Vengeance comes from hatred and hatred is what precipitated this. The world needs less "eye-for-an-eye" and more "do unto others".

[darkknight_55]

marscapone99, I understand what you are saying but what you used as an example is basically repeating itself. Do unto others what you would have them do to you is only another variation of eye for an eye in this matter.
I think what you are doing is confusing the bible and Confucius. In this case it should be the Confucius maxim "Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you."
I have mixed feelings on these cases. On one side I want these slimeballs to suffer for the rest of their lives but then on the other hand I don't want any chance of them ever being released, which has happened too much where killers are concerned. Now if this guy can be convicted and sentenced without the possibility of parole, then I'm fine with that.

[thomasmc1957]

Yeah, well the rest of society has a say in the matter, too, and I say remove the scum from the human race. He clearly deserves NO place in society, not even in prison.