United States Verse Price et al (1967)

Known as one of the most famous criminal trials in American history; United States vs Cecil Price, et al 383; also known as the

Mississippi Burning Trial; the United States charged a group of 18 men with conspiring in a Ku Klux Klan plot to murder three young civil

rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi on June 21, 1964.

These civil rights workers were Michael Schwerer, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman. As the three young men headed to Longdale,

Mississippi to inspect the ruins of Mount Zion Methodist Church; which had been burned just five days earlier; they checked in with

coworkers.

Before leaving Meridian; the three men informed other council members of the Federated Organizations workers of their plans and set

check in times in accordance with standard security procedures.

Later that day; Neshoba County deputy Cecil Price; who himself was a member of the Ku Klux Klan stopped the three men in the car they

were driving for allegedly driving 35 miles per hour over the authorize speed limit. The three civil rights workers were detained.

The deputy at the Neshoba County Sheriffs office released the three civil rights workers in the darkness of the night. The deputy along

with other Klan members went after the three civil rights workers and detained them once again. This time they were taken to a remote

site at a dam. Once at the site the three civil rights workers were assaulted and shot execution style at point blank range.

All of these acts were part of a plan and conspiracy to kill the three civil rights workers in order to disrupt them from completing the

inspections of the burned down church which was done by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

This in my opinion was definitely an act of terrorism due to the fact that the murders were planned and the exact where abouts of the three

civil rights workers were known and all of the acts which led up to the killings were an act of terrorism.

Sam Bowers; the Imperial Wizard of the White Knights of the Klu Klux Klan of Mississippi sent word in May 1964 to the Klansmen of

Lauderdale and Neshoba counties that it was time to activate Plan 4 which provided for the elimination of the despised civil rights activist

Michael Schwerer.

All of the members of the White Knights of the Klu Klux Klan of Mississippi’s Lauderdale and Neshoba counties were aware of the plan

to kill the three civil rights workers

The members of the Klu Klux Klan who were involved in the church burning at the Mount Zion united Methodist church were also

responsible for those acts committed there at the church.

The FBI investigation started the morning after the civil rights workers disappearance and the phone of Meridan based FBI Agent John

Proctor rang. Within hours; Proctor was in Neshoba county interviewing blacks, community leaders, Sheriff Rainey and Deputy Price.

After his interview with Cecil Price; the deputy slapped Proctor on the back and said Hell John, let’s have a drink. Price then went to his

car and pulled out contraband liquor out of the trunk.

The following day; which was June 23rd; Proctor had been joined by ten newly arrived special agents and Harry Maynor who was

Proctor’s New Orleans based supervisor.

The first tip in the case came when Proctor received a tip that a smoldering car was seen in the Northeast section of Neshoba County. It

was then when the Johnson Administration place top priority in the case when Joseph Sullivan; the FBI’s Major Case inspector arrived.

Days later; FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover would fly to Jackson to announce the opening of the FBI’s first office in Mississippi.

It was decided that the case would be solved by conducting an investigation. A promise of $30,000 in reward money brought about

some forward information which eventually led to the discovery of the bodies of the three civil rights workers.

On the morning of December 4; a team of federal agents swept through Neshoba and Lauderdale counties in Mississippi arresting

nineteen men for conspiring to deprive Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman of their civil rights under color of state law.

Six days later; a US commissioner dismissed the charges. A month later government attorneys secured indictments against the

conspirators from a federal grand jury in Jackson.

Finally; on October 7, 1967 the trial began in the Meridan courtroom of Judge William Cox.

The three Klan informants who testified helped incriminate those who were convicted in the case.

On the morning of October 20, 1967; the jury returned with it’s verdict. The list of the convicted men included Deputy Sheriff Cecil Price,

Imperial Wizard Sam Bowers, Trigger man Wayne Roberts, Jimmy Snowden, Billy Wayne Posey, and Horace Barnett.

I believe that the FBI acted in a swift manner due to the situation at the time. I believe that the FBI should have put more investigation

into the church fire at the Mount Zion Methodist Church; which may or may not have prevented the deaths of the three civil rights workers.