Willie Edwards
Encyclopedia
Willie Edwards, Jr. was a 24-year-old African American
, husband and father, murdered by members of the Alabama
Ku Klux Klan
. He is buried at New Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Letohatchee, Alabama
.
. They had allegedly heard that Edwards had been dating a white woman. Edwards left to go to work on the afternoon of January 23, never to return home. He was beaten by the Klansmen in a car as they drove him around the city. Then they stopped at a bridge along the Alabama River
and told Edwards to jump off. Three months passed before his body washed up on the shores of the river. Officials stated that decomposition
made it impossible to determine the cause of his death.
Bill Baxley
re-opened the Edwards case.
Four people were arrested and charged with Edward's murder: Sonny Kyle Livingston Jr. (38), Henry Alexander (46), James York (73), and Raymond Britt, Jr. Britt broke the long silence with his sworn affidavit (in exchange for immunity), dated February 20, 1976. In the statement to Attorney General Bill Baxley, Britt described how on the night of January 23, 1957, he along with three other men beat and forced Edwards to jump off the Tyler-Goodwin Bridge into the Alabama River
. Edwards fell 125 feet (27 m), from the bridge into the Alabama River below.
Alabama Judge Frank Embry dismissed the charges, even with Britt's sworn testimony because no cause of death was ever established. He concluded that "merely forcing a person to jump from a bridge does not naturally and probably lead to the death of such person."
in 1957. Therefore, Edwards' cause of death was changed from unknown to homicide.
In 1999, the District Attorney presented the new case before a Montgomery County
Grand Jury, which subsequently declined to indict anybody of a crime.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, husband and father, murdered by members of the Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. He is buried at New Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Letohatchee, Alabama
Letohatchee, Alabama
Letohatchee is an unincorporated area in Lowndes County, Alabama, United States. It has a very small population and four businesses. The community is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Location:...
.
Murder
On the night of January 22, 1957, a small group of Klansmen gathered, armed with pistols and a rifle. They got into a car to look for Willie Edwards, who was recently hired as a driver for Winn-DixieWinn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Jacksonville, Florida. Winn-Dixie has ranked number 24 in the 2010 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2009 fiscal year estimated sales of $7.3 billion by Supermarket News. and was ranked the 43rd largest retailer in the...
. They had allegedly heard that Edwards had been dating a white woman. Edwards left to go to work on the afternoon of January 23, never to return home. He was beaten by the Klansmen in a car as they drove him around the city. Then they stopped at a bridge along the Alabama River
Alabama River
The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery.The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into...
and told Edwards to jump off. Three months passed before his body washed up on the shores of the river. Officials stated that decomposition
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
made it impossible to determine the cause of his death.
1976 Case Reopened
In 1976, then State Attorney GeneralAttorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
Bill Baxley
Bill Baxley
William Joseph Baxley II is an American Democratic politician and attorney.He was born in Dothan, Alabama and attended law school at the University of Alabama, graduating in 1964. He served two terms as Attorney General of Alabama, from 1971–1979; at the age of 27, he was the youngest to hold that...
re-opened the Edwards case.
Four people were arrested and charged with Edward's murder: Sonny Kyle Livingston Jr. (38), Henry Alexander (46), James York (73), and Raymond Britt, Jr. Britt broke the long silence with his sworn affidavit (in exchange for immunity), dated February 20, 1976. In the statement to Attorney General Bill Baxley, Britt described how on the night of January 23, 1957, he along with three other men beat and forced Edwards to jump off the Tyler-Goodwin Bridge into the Alabama River
Alabama River
The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery.The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into...
. Edwards fell 125 feet (27 m), from the bridge into the Alabama River below.
Alabama Judge Frank Embry dismissed the charges, even with Britt's sworn testimony because no cause of death was ever established. He concluded that "merely forcing a person to jump from a bridge does not naturally and probably lead to the death of such person."
Case Reopened 1997-99
In 1997, Edwards' daughter, Malinda, requested the District Attorney (last name Brooks) to re-investigate her father's death. The District Attorney agreed and began working with the new medical examiner, Dr. James Lauridson. It was found that Edwards' death was caused by a forced jump into the Alabama RiverAlabama River
The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery.The river flows west to Selma, then southwest until, about from Mobile, it unites with the Tombigbee, forming the Mobile and Tensaw rivers, which discharge into...
in 1957. Therefore, Edwards' cause of death was changed from unknown to homicide.
In 1999, the District Attorney presented the new case before a Montgomery County
Montgomery County
Montgomery County may refer to:* Montgomery County, Tasmania or Montgomery Land District, Australia* Montgomery County, Alabama* Montgomery County, Arkansas* Montgomery County, Georgia* Montgomery County, Illinois* Montgomery County, Indiana...
Grand Jury, which subsequently declined to indict anybody of a crime.