Case # 2: The Murder of Emmett Till

Warning:

When he was killed, Emmett Till was only 14 years old. Because he was so young, and because he was very violently murdered, I felt this warning was important. What I'm trying to say is that from here, read at your own risk. I should also note before diving into the case that some of the pictures included are going to be difficult to look at.  

Emmett Till: 

Emmett Till was born in Chicago to Louis and Mamie Till on July 25, 1941. Emmett was described as being a prankster. On August 20, 1955, Mamie saw her son off at the 63rd Street train station in Chicago, where Emmett was going to take the southbound train to visit family in Money, Mississippi. 

Emmett Till before he was murdered


Events Leading to the Murder: 

Emmett would arrive in Money the next day, and would stay with his great uncle, Moses Wright. A couple days later, Emmett went with a group of teens to a grocery store called Bryant's, owned by a white couple, Roy and Carolyn Bryant. Emmett allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant. Even though there were no witnesses, Carolyn Bryant claimed he had also grabbed her and made lewd advances. 

The Murder: 

On August 28, 1955, Emmett Till was kidnapped from his great uncle's home by Roy Bryant and his half-brother, J.W. Milam. (another source cited Milam as Roy Bryant's brother-in-law) The two men beat Till, and took him to the edge of the Tallahatchie River, where they shot him in the head, fastened a metal fan to his neck with barbed wire, and dumped him into the river.  

After the Murder: 

Bryant and Milam are arrested on kidnapping charges and held in a Greenwood, Mississippi jail without bond. On August 31, 1955, Emmett Till's body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River. Moses Wright identified Emmett's body based on a ring Emmett had on his person with his father's initials. On September 2nd, 1955, Mamie Till retrieved her son's casket at the Illinois Central Terminal. The next day, Mamie Till held an open casket funeral. On September 6th, 1955, Bryant and Milam were indicted by a grand jury, and they both plead not guilty. 

Emmett Till's body at his open-casket funeral.

Emmett's mother, Mamie Till crying over her son's casket.


The Trial: 

Milam and Bryant's trial began on September 19th, 1955. At the time, black people and women were not allowed to serve on juries. So, the selected jury was a group of white men. Emmett's mother flew down to Mississippi in order to attend the trial. On September 21st, 1955, Moses Wright accused Milam and Bryant of breaking into his house and kidnapping Emmett. On September 23rd, 1955. Milam and Bryant were acquitted. The jury only deliberated for 67 minutes.

A look at the trial of Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam.

J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, Emmett Till's murderers on trial


Further Events: 

It was later revealed that Carolyn Bryant recanted her accusation, stating that Emmett Till never actually touched her. Milam died in 1980 and Bryant died in 1994.     

Sources: 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/12/us/emmett-till-murder-case-reopened-doj/index.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-death-of-emmett-till

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/till-timeline/   

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