Friday, April 18, 2008

Time for Till, Again







In a previous post, I introduced you to historian, writer, and educator, Devery Anderson, one of the nation's leding experts on the Emmett Till murder. Devery took the time to read your questions, and has graciously taken considerable time to respond to your questions. Here is the letter he sent. Read and respond with thoughts, comments, and more questions.

Thanks again, Devery, for taking the time to converse with us.







++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Thank you all for your questions, and I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you. Thanks also for your interest in the Emmett Till case.

Several of your questions asked about any regrets that J. W. Milam, Roy Bryant, or Carolyn Bryant may have had about Emmett’s murder. Neither of the men involved ever expressed any public remorse, nor have their family members. Roy Bryant took a friend of his on a “tour” of the sites involved in the murder in 1985, and his friend secretly recorded him, and Bryant seemed to brag about the whole thing, indicating that there were others involved, but that he wasn’t going to name them. Carolyn Bryant refuses to talk about the case (I wrote her and went by her house, and she won’t respond to me). The only time she is known to have talked in the last 52 years was to the FBI in 2004. If she has any regrets, she isn’t telling anyone. I don’t really know why she won’t allow anyone to talk to her. She actually didn’t tell her husband about the incident with Emmett Till—he heard about it from someone else-- then asked her about it. I believe, based on my research, that she bent the truth about what happened when she told the story in court. I don’t think she told that story to her husband.

I heard from one of her cousins that Mamie Till-Mobley and some of Moses Wright’s family had a falling out for a time, and that she blamed them for allowing Emmett to be killed. I have not been able to confirm if that is true.





The sheriff of Leflore County [H.C. Strider], where Roy Bryant lived, was said to have told Emmett’s grandmother that Bryant was a mean, cruel man, and that he had been implicated in the death of another African American the year before. I have not been able to find anything to confirm that this actually happened.

I can only assume that Emmett’s mother regretted sending him to Mississippi, although I never knew her to dwell on that, or what happened to him once he got there. She came to believe that her son died for a reason, and I think she came to dwell on that aspect of it.

I do not know if Mrs. Bryant gets threatening phone calls. She has changed her number since the last time I tried calling. She used to be listed in the phone book under her current name, Carolyn Donham, but that was before most people knew what her current name is. Since her current name and location has become more public, I believe she has stopped listing her number.


The most unique thing that I have discovered is the person who went into the store and made Emmett come out when he was talking to Carolyn Bryant. He hasn’t talked to anyone about this, at least publicly, since 1955. His name faded away from history right away. I know who he is, I am just trying to get him to talk.

I believe Mrs. Bryant did feel that justice had been done, because she wanted her husband freed, and back then, people felt that defending the honor of southern womanhood justified a crime even as brutal as murder. That was what Milam and Bryant thought they were doing.


Mrs. Bryant never expressed any feelings about the condition of Emmett’s body, or to the brutality of the murder. At the time, she and Roy had two small boys, less than four years old. They later had another son and a daughter. No one knows how she eventually came to explain the murder to them.

My use of the term “angel” in the poem was just my attempt to be artistic I guess. I believe that people have been profoundly moved by his death, but I have never seen it as something that was meant to be, nor that it had a fore-ordained purpose (which Emmett’s mother DID believe). Aside from the very human tragedy of the case that affects us all, I am trying to view it as a historian.

I have asked Emmett Till’s cousins several questions about what Emmett was like as a child, and what they witnessed at the time of the whistle in the store, and the kidnapping three days later. I have asked lots of details that I have been able to verify as either accurate or inaccurate. I feel I have the best take on what happened, and have the most detail of anyone. I wish I would have asked his mother several more questions about Emmett as a child.



After Emmett’s father died, his mother remarried twice more when Emmett was a child, and one more time after his death. Emmett and his two step fathers were close but because they, and his mother divorced, these men weren’t in his life very long. Mamie does seem calm and in control in the weeks after the trial, but she has always attributed that to the strength she was able to muster up early on. She commented once that people thought she was cold or uncaring because of that, but when you see the films of her at the funeral, she is clearly very emotional.

Mamie’s belief that Emmett did not whistle intentionally is clearly an error. Emmett did whistle at Carolyn Bryant, and it was definitely NOT misinterpreted due to his speech impediment. I spend a lot of time on this in my book (which I am still writing). His cousins who were with him are very clear about that, and they told me that Emmett talked to them afterwards about it, and plead for them not to tell his uncle Moses Wright what had happened. He knew he had done something wrong. I also believe he probably said something to Carolyn Bryant in the store that she took offense at, but not the things she claimed he said. I don’t think he meant any harm by it.

The jury took 67 minutes to make the verdict. According to Steve Whitaker, who interviewed the jury members seven years later, most of them fully believed that Milam and Bryant were guilty, even though they voted “not guilty.” Harry Dogan, the incoming sheriff of Tallahatchie County, asked them to take a little time before announcing their verdict in order to “make it look good.”

Mamie was very open about the murder, in that she was always willing to talk about it. I probably talked to her on the phone 50 times before she died, and she could always talk about every aspect of it easily.

The people I have interviewed, besides Mamie Till-Mobley, are Wheeler Parker, who took the train with Emmett to Mississippi, Simeon Wright, who was in the bed with Emmett when he was kidnapped (both of these men were with Emmett at the store also, when he whistled at Carolyn Bryant). I interviewed Willie Reed, the surprise witness for the prosecution, who heard Emmett being beaten and killed in the barn. I also interviewed two reporters who covered the trial, and one woman who sat through the trial.

As far as Emmett’s own religious beliefs, he did attend church each week, and according to his mother, he became a born-again Christian after he became a teenager. His cousin, Wheeler Parker, who is a minister himself, says he doesn’t remember a religious side to Emmett necessarily, and said that back then, kids absolutely HAD to go to church, EVERY Sunday.

The Crisis did not devote much to the case – there were only a few issues during the trial that devoted any attention to it –I have them. As far as my book goes, I am still writing it and I expect it to be a year before I turn the full manuscript in.

The Till case, as it relates to the Civil Rights Movement, is seen as inspiring people to act, and the first action that followed it was the Montgomery Bus Boycot a few months later. This is something that historians have only begun to fully understand in the last twenty years. In the years just following the Till case, it was overshadowed by other events, and the people who were the key players in the case fell into obscurity. It is only in retrospect now that people see it as a major event that inspired protests and actions in the Movement.

There had been thousands of lynchings in the south prior to the Till murder, but his is the most famous because he was not from the South, was a child, and his mother insisted on showing the world the brutality of the crime by having an open-casket funeral. Lynchings had become more rare in the years preceeding Emmett’s death. More followed as KKK members and others in the South tried to fight integration and voter registration for blacks.


The only action to try to prosecute Milam and Bryant after the murder trial was to indict them on kidnapping charges a month and a half later, but the grand jury failed to indict. The FBI investigation that occurred between 2004-2006 was an attempt to prosecute others who are still living, and who may have been involved. In February 2007, the grand jury heard evidence linking Carolyn Bryant to the kidnapping but failed to indict her.

Moses Wright let the men take Emmett only because they threatened his life and had a gun. Had he attempted to stop them, they likely would have killed everyone in the house – at least Moses and his wife. Plus, he never imagined they would kill him. He thought they were going to take him away, whip him, then bring him home.

Emmett’s mother and Carolyn Bryant never spoke, and she never had any direct contact with anyone from Milam nor Bryant’s family. Mamie told me once she would be willing to talk with her, mother to mother. She felt no anger toward her.

I have completed most of my research for my book, but still go to Mississippi two or three times a year to try to find out more information. There are still a few people I want to interview. I hope to do it soon.

Mamie didn’t necessarily use her son’s death as evidence of white supremacist attitudes but just the events surrounding Emmett’s death, and the fact that the men got away with murder, and the jury was willing to allow that without any conscience, is the evidence that it really hard to escape. Mamie only had to be aware of the facts surrounding the kidnap, murder, and attitude of the sheriff and jury to see it for what it was.

I think the men who killed Emmett were able to become as angry as they did because they were raised to see certain actions as big, big taboos in the South. That taboo was any amount of social interaction between whites and blacks. Blacks were seen as so inferior, in fact, that there had been a long tradition of killing -- and getting away with it in the South. In Mississippi alone there were over 500 documented lynchings between 1888-1955. In the entire South, there were several thousand.

Mamie did tell Emmett how to behave in the South, and did this very forcefully before he left.



Although Emmett’s killers knew he was a boy, they later got angry when the reporter who interviewed them and paid them for their confession, phrased their crime as the “murder of a child.” I think, however, because they never showed any remorse, that to them, he was just another “nigger.” His age made no difference.

Carolyn Bryant is still alive, is 74 years old, and lives in Greenville, Mississippi. She and Roy Bryant divorced in 1979 and she has since remarried three times. Her name now is Carolyn Donham.

I don’t know Carolyn Bryant’s current attitude toward blacks, or civil rights. She will not talk to anyone about this case, and no one from her family will talk about her or the case publicly.

When the FBI reopened the case, they were trying to find others who may have been involved, and to try to get more facts about the murder, since it had never been investigated all that well to begin with. They were not going after Milam and Bryant, who were both dead anyway, so there was no violation of the double jeopardy law.

I hope this answers everything. Feel free to write me further at devery@emmetttillmurder.com, or post more questions on the blog.

Thanks again for this opportunity!
Devery

60 comments:

Unknown said...

Well I want to thank Mr. Anderson for taking the time to write us back and for shedding more light on the subject of the Till Case. I am a bit shocked at the fact that the jury even though they felt the 2 men were guilty voted the latter anyway. I suppose fear of the mob mentality and going against "Southern Ideals" was a bit too much for these indivduals. As for Ms. Bryant I think she feels guilt and remorse for what she sparked but refuses to show it or speak to anyone about it which in my opinion is a coward's way out. As for the various interviews and such conducted by Mr. Anderson I find them interesting and I think add more depth to the case than what we originally got in class. I think I might take the time to write Mr. Anderson for more information considering I still have some questions and other thoughts weighing on my mind.

Anonymous said...

I also want to start by thanking Mr. Anderson not only for taking time out of his day to respond to our many questions on the Till case, but for devoting much of his life to researching and delving into the past to try and figure out the mysteries linked to the Till case for i think it's fascinating that he cares enough to try and learn this kids story. I have learned many new interesting things that i was ablivios to previous to reading this, and the most interesting thing to me is the fact that there are more people involved in his murder. I never thought that there might have been more people and it's interesting to here this. If only Caroline Bryant would not hide herself from the reality of the story and tell her side of the story, i think we would learn many new things. I can understand though the mental blow she took after finding out the things that had been done to this child for even though she was rascist, she was a mother with children and knows how terrible it would be to lose ones child.

-Cooper Smith

Unknown said...

The court case outcome was the definatley the most shocking outcome. Shocking in the way that it the men should have been voted guilty. But remembering the time period, it was not shocking that white men were released for murdering a black child. It seems to me that the reason for this court decision was to almost pacify the crowd. If they would have pronounced the men guilty, American society would have erupted. White supremecy has been so much a part of life. To mr anderson I would propose the question of his personal opinion of the outcome. He is obviously very knowledgeable of this case so i would enjoy hearing whether he believes the case to have been fair or not considering the time period.

Anonymous said...

I feel that is necessary to thank Mr. Anderson for taking time to answer all of our questions and to give us a better understanding of the Emmett Till case as well. I am also stunned that the two men were never convicted either on murder or kidnapping. I think that the former Ms. Bryant is avoiding a meeting with anyone because she feels that she truly did not do anything to cause such an atrocious crime, ie she didn't tell Mr. Bryant to murder Emmett, and thus feels that she should not have to provide any infromation on the subject. However, her actions up to now have merely made her a more suspicious character.
My only question is why, up until now, has the Emmett Till case not been a large part of the Civil Rights Movement; or to say why did it not affect people as much as it could have?
- Jesse Worsham

Anonymous said...

I appreciate Mr.Anderson for dedicating his time to answer our questions. I think the story of Emmitt Till is a good cause within a tragedy. He died for a much needed Civil Rights cause. I am inspired by his mothers strength to make the case public, she is the true hero for standing up to this act of racism. But I have always wondered, did this kind of horrific act happen daily in the segragated South? and if so why wasn't it delt with before the tragic death of Emmitt Till?
-L.Herring

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, the Emmett Till case was all really shocking to me because I never realized how cruel people could be just because of someones race, however i definatley think that the most shocking part of it all is that everyone involved aren{t showing any remorse from their actions at all. I would expect them to be very remorseful, but for some reason they aren´t and that really confuses me. I would like to know how they can live with themselves knowing that they brutally murdered a young boy. I would also like to thank Mr. Anderson for writing back to us and clearing up alot of questions i had.

-Mary Martin

Anonymous said...

I would like to thank Mr. Anderson for taking the time to respond to our many questions. I would assume by the way all of the Bryant family still till today refuses to speak about the murder shows they do not feel any remorse twards the murder which reflects the harshness for blacks in the south back then. It is reasuring to look back and notice how far the civil rights acts have come.
Alec Beustring

Anonymous said...

Looking at Carolyn Bryant's life following the Emmett Till murder and trial, I see her life's descent: three failing marriages, self-isolation from the public. Possibly and probably, the Till Case stimulated her constant unhapppiness, which in time, ruined her chance of keeping a steady marriage.
Even though she may believe that she did not do anything to cause the devastating tragedy that ended the life of a young boy, her life appears weighted by her involvement in the death of Emmett Till.

-Austin Price

Anonymous said...

My question, albeit belated, is probably the same as many others- how could ‘justice’ allow the two men to go free? It was obvious and the prosecutors had much more evidence backing their case than Bryant and his accomplice, so how did they not convict them?- Shannon Kemp

Anonymous said...

Sorry for asking my question so late but why did Emmett and his brother go to visit their grandfather if they knew for a fact that Mississippi was a brtual and dangerous place? Now, I would like to say thank you Mr. Anderson for all the information you have given us, you have opened my eyes even further regarding the Emmett Till Case!

Josh M.
Period 1

Anonymous said...

I'm also sorry for asking my question so late. But, I have been curious to why the two white been were automatically considered innocent for their actions contributing to the murder of Emmett Till? It's still very hard for me to believe the extent to which racial descrimation was taken to during that time period.

-kate g.
period 1

Anonymous said...

While learning about the Emmett Till case and leaning all of those who were involoved i wonder where Mrs. Bryant stood in the situation. Did she stretch the truth a bit? Was she the cause of Emmett's murder or did this just give her husband an excuse to go and kill a black boy out of hatred and not out of what he did. -alyssa

Anonymous said...

it is sad to me that our judicial system wolnt alow this case to be tried in a more fair court. i want to know where the evidence from this case is today?

Will Barto

Kate said...

Like the rest, I really appreciate the time Mr. Anderson has taken to write back and answer questions for our convenience. From what I have read and understood, the facts are not perfectly clear concerning the gestures/ and or speech that Emitt used with Carolyn Bryant. I am curious to know what your thoughts are. Because Emitt was from the north and not used to the southern segregation, do you think that Emitt was trying to make a stand towards the soouth? I think it is possible that Emitt did not make guestures towards Ms. Bryant in an inappropriate, adolescent way but because of his anger and mockery of the south's civil ways. What are your opinions?


-kate zimmerman

Anonymous said...

The civil rights movement was a very troubling time for many African Americans living in the South. Howeveer, with lynchings occuring on a daily basis, Emmitt's murder shows the savage nature of many white men of the era. The Bryant family has still not commented on the events, a fact that shows that they have no remorse for what was done. Even though prejudice still exists, Emmitt's sacrifice helped bring about one of the most important movements in American history.

Anonymous said...

NIck Daniels

Anonymous said...

Each time i think about the Emmit Till case it makes me feel terrible inside. I dont know how the men that did that to him didnt have any apologies to his mother or his family. I am also wondering how the jury could have found those two men not guilty. I cant believe that the South was so racist that the Law didnt matter. It is unbelievalbe that grow men can beat a boy to death and not have any consequences.
David Jennings

Anonymous said...

In my opinion, studying the Emmett Till case was one of the most interesting things we studied in class. It was really shocking and makes me mad to see how people acted towards him. It's really interesting to see all the additional information Mr. Anderson has given us and I enjoyed reading more about it.
-carly calhoun

Anonymous said...

First of all, I am very impressed by the wealth of knowledge Mr. Anderson has concerning the Till Case. He shared so many more details than I was aware of and helped me understand the case better as a whole. I've really enjoyed learning about the case and I'm shocked that I haven't heard of it before this class. I think it deserves much more publicity than it recieves now and should be taught to students learning about the Civil Rights Movement.
Sarah Adams

Anonymous said...

Thank you alot for responding to our class's questions. I am very impressed at all your insight of this murder. One question i have is why didn't she tell her husband abou the incident? He apparently heard about it from someoen else. This must mean that the whole community must have been aware and talking about it. I don't thinkk it would have been that big a deal had the town not made such a problem out of it. Had soemthing like this not happened before? I bet if Emmett were not a black man,that it would be not a problem at all and he would not have been murdered at all. Well, thanks again Mr. Anderson for all your insight and knowledge about thsi incident.
-Avery

Sarah2854@aol.com said...

I want to start off by thanking Mr. Anderson for the time he spent answering all of our questions. After reading his response, I was blown away by the mass amounts of knowledge he possesses regarding the Emitt Till Case. Mr. Anderson shared many details about the case in which I was completely oblivious to their occurrences. These details helped me to acquire a better understanding of the case. I also think that the Emitt Till case deserves much more attention than it receives, and should become a part of every schools curriculum while teaching the CRM. My question is a follow to Kate Zimmerman’s question. I am curious to know what your thoughts are as it relates to what could have been Emitt’s motives by the looks/gestures he reportedly made to Ms. Bryant.
-Sarah Leatherwood

Anonymous said...

First of all, thank you Mr. Anderson for taking the time to share your knowlege with us about the Till Case. The first time I watched the Emmett Till movie, I was enraged because I could not understand the logic behind the jury decision. I find it interesting that Ms. Bryant did not tell her current spouse about the murder.I think that Ms. Bryant feels so guilty that she can't even talk about the case. I think anger mixed with guilt fills her being. I believe she feels angry at herself for feeling guilty. Maimie was a very strong woman, and she felt that Emmett had to die so that other negro children might live. I agree with your thinking that Emmett did say something to Carolyn while they were both in the store. Emmett was taught that one should never talk to a white woman, but he still did. Like all children, Emmett wanted to break the rules to see what happned. He never imagned that the situation would end in his death. Did any other cases like Emmett's occur? and if so, where are they? Why don't we hear about them?
Thank you!
Mary Papasakelariou

Anonymous said...

I would like to thank Mr. Anderson once again for educating us further on the Emmit Till case. But i would like to know why the killers were not convicted? how is it that everyone with the law on their side was against emmitt?

Anonymous said...

-Houston Rutherford

Anonymous said...

It is terrible that a young boy died as a result of some benign comments. It is also terrible that his mother would even contemplate sending him to such a racially divided part of the country. One would not consider parading a barley clothed woman through a penitentiary regardless of the progressiveness of the times or laws protecting people from harm - some people just do not care about possible ramifications. Furthermore, it is unfortunate that this boy was foolish enough to believe that his newfound equality provided him with a shield against the bigotry of the time.

Anonymous said...

thank you for your work the town the people and anyone connected to hiding the truth will one day get their opportunity to explain themselves i was once told that if go to hell your live out your worst sin for eternity that miss Bryant looks like someone who said wrong thing to wrong person i hope god can forgive her but if they can't well hell has open

Anonymous said...

Carolyn Donham and family refuse to speak openly about this terrible murder because they know they were wrong. Thank you for listing her current name and a picture of her. She needs to come forward to apologize and ask forgiveness for what she did before she dies.

Anonymous said...

No one involved in this is going to escape punishment. Those two people who killed him are suffering their fate right now in hell. As for Carolyn she will suffer the same fate unless she confesses, repents and makes the wrong she did right in the eyes of the Lord. As for Carolyns offspring, I can only pray that this kind of inhumane racist actions don't live on in them.

Anonymous said...

Oh they all have a place in hell!!! and the sad part about it,,, it's whites still feel the same today,, as they did then,, believe me,, YOU WILL GO TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maghee said...

The "Till Case" is not so far removed from the feelings of today. Today, we don't have to look into the deep south for those same feelings and attitudes; we only have to look at our currunt Republican Congress to see "Faces of the old south". The feelings of hate are still obvious for many. What many of us don't realize is, there is a big profit in pushing hate and policies that continue to devide the races for economic factors. We also have a willing pool of fools who continue to dis-enhance progress in this era of change.

Maghee

Trish said...

What a sickening shame that whole family is! Carolyn will be punished by God, but I imagine most of her life she has had to basically stay hidden from any of those who know the story... She and the others certainly do now that the story has come back into the limelight! I hope she and anyone in her family who support her are plagued by reporters from here on out! What an evil evil woman... What evil men to have done this to a child - or anyone for that matter. I hope they were and are all still haunted by him...

Trish said...

Unfortunately, I agree... I pray every time I see the presidential "wanna be's" on TV or some commercial that Obama wins by a landslide!

Trish said...

Not all whites do!! Dont put us all into the same catagory... Dont let the minority of evil racists out there define your image of the rest of us! I hope that special place Carolyn and Roy and all the others have in hell finds them ALL very soon!

Anonymous said...

I am curious that how the Greenville society accepted this woman.
or how they behave against her.
I feel so sick of reading this story.Maybe Aliens should visit the Earth for good,then we will more care about being "human" rather than being black or white...sigh...

Carie said...

I am so disgusted with this evilness and what they did to this innocent child, Emmit.
I do not know how she lives with herself, still living, unlike Emmit.
She should be tortured, she is Not human nor is anyone that was involved with his Murder and the trial.It is all beyond Evil,Pathetic. Shame on all of you. No word can or will even come close to describe all of you involved
Sad part is that there is still evil racism going on

Anonymous said...

I feel so sad whenever I read of the Death of Emitt Till.
It beggars belief that back in those days you could torture and kill whom ever you wanted as long as they were black. I think it's disgusting. How could honest good hearted people sanction this kind of thing? There must have been at least a few in that so called court room who found this behaviour unacceptable? It makes me sick to think that they had the nerve to believe they were better than any black person. It saddens me to think that people like that still exist! Excuse
Valerie in Harrow

Anonymous said...

I also forgot to add. Carolyn Bryant is no beauty. Although looks are subjective she is certainly no oil painting. Emitt Till probably whistled in her direction because he felt sorry for her. Why would any self respecting 14 year old make advances to that ugly old Dog? I have seen her photos. She was ugly and mean then and she is still ugly and mean now. She won a beauty contest? What for Dogs? Don't make me laugh. I have seen better looking in a zoo!

Anonymous said...

Carolyn Donham should have been found guilty of conspiracy for murder at least, and have been put in jail. The fact that the crime was committed more that 50 years ago doesn't diminished the severity of it. There is no way to punish the masterminds behind this despicable murder because they are long dead.

Apocacryptic said...

Someone here said something that really offended me. They were comparing Carolyn Bryant to dogs. If my dogs ever heard that type of verbal abuse and insult, they would commit suicide. That is the most hostile and crass statement I have ever heard.

Steph said...

I am a child of the mid 70's and grew up in Jackson, MS. I remember reading about this story years ago and..just today I again came across this story..horrible, just horrible. I wonder how Carolyn can sleep at night knowing she had a hand in this horrific act to a child. I hope there is a special place in hell for her and her extended family. To see and look at the photos taken right after the the jury found the men Not Guilty just gives me chills. I also read Carolyn's blog and how she bragged and was sooo proud about what her husband did to this young man. This, I hope, will haunt their family for years to come and through generations. There is no excuse for this kind of brutality and savagery. I pray for the family of Emmett Till.

Anonymous said...

i am 71 years old and a retired teacher of high school and community college English [for the past thirty years]. i was 12 years old when this happened and i remember collections being taken in our church along with all the other black churches in harlem at that time. this case devastated me because my family had always sent my sister and me to the south for the summers. i do recall reading somewhere that frank bryant, one of the sons of carolyn and roy bryant, had met an untimely death for which his mother, carolyn, has been quietly grieving. i do not know for sure if this is true and i cannot seem to find any other information about this regardless of how many times i google this question. kindly let me know if anyone out there knows whether or not the information about frank bryant's death is true or not. my concern is only because when i first heard this, i thought that this was a definite example of karma since carolyn would also have tragically lost a son; however, i would like to know for sure because if this is NOT true, i do not wish to harbor these thoughts of retributive justice merely due to "wishful thinking". and, please excuse my writing mainly in lower case which i have done only because it makes for faster typing.

Anonymous said...

Way to blame the victim.

Anonymous said...

What do you mean " way to blame the victim?" Are you implying that Carolyn Bryant is the victim in this situation? Get real! She deserves all she gets, and some. The punishment she has coming her way is too lenient for her. Emmet Till and his family were the victims. Get it right. Idiot!

Anonymous said...

May this old bitch burn in hell. How she can live with herself, and her secrets is beyond me.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the information regarding the btrutal murder of Emmitt Till. There are no excuses to be made regarding his conduct on any level, he was a 14yr old child and he was innocent of any crime. I have read many stories on the brutal murder of this child and there seems to be a lot of " he said this, or he said that, or he whistled. I do not believe he done anything wrong. I believe Carolyn Bryant has lied her arse off in order to cover up something else that she instigated that day. I also firmly believe that she was present at his brutal murder and took some part in it. What about cold case evidence. Why don't exhume his body and they will find out more. She should be made to talk regardless of her age, after all Nazi war criminals are still being found, and tried for their crimes. She should by law be made to talk. Still, four marriages and living in secluion is not the best life and she still has hell to come. Tish Jarvis

A Wonderer said...

I Really never heard if the horrible tragedy of what happened to Emmitt Till until 2006. The only reason it came up and when people started investigating. I found out that was living down the street from me on Rebecca Dr. and there was a relative of hers that was working with me at USG Interiors in Greenville Ms. After the story hit again, a sign was posted in her yard about no trespassing. Hearing and reading about this makes me sick and I just can't believe how she lived with herself all these years. For what I have read, all the ones that was closely related to the case had very misfortune and didn't live a happy life. Only God got the last say so and back then I just can't believe that whites and living in the south had been so cruel. I often wondered how whites got to be so powerful over the blacks because their were to me an equal amount of blacks as well. I don't understand

Anonymous said...

why doesn't that lady die already. And her offspring they are demons.. he was just a young kid

Anonymous said...

I have a son who is almost 14 and his skin is dark. I see Emmit in my child. How could any humans do this to a child?? How are the Bryant's and Millam's sleeping at night? Being a Christian, we are taught to forgive the worst of the sinners, but I just cannot forgive those involved. Frankly the family of Emmit, need to sue the Mississippi government for letting the murderers go unpunished. Utterly shameful. I hope the murderers are rotting in hell with their master, Satan!


Unknown said...

Who are you referencing? Weirdoooooo... I know you are not talking about the 71 year-old who has a young girl remembers being in church and taking donations giving donations..... Because then you are the only idiot

Unknown said...

My question is by the 1960s why didn't the black panthers put a hit on the heads of Carolyn Bryant , Roy Bryant and Milam

Unknown said...

My question is by the 1960s why didn't the black panthers put a hit on the heads of Carolyn Bryant , Roy Bryant and Milam

Fuck you Carol said...

Thats what i was thinking. Like now why is this bitch still breathing

Fuck you Carol said...

Carolyn ugly ass is still alive. Im highly disappointed that somebody hadnt put this bitch out of her misery

Fuck you Carol said...

Im pissed this evil ass bitch is still breathing. This hoe should have been lynched years ago. White racist puppy

Fuck you Carol said...

Im pissed this evil ass bitch is still breathing. This hoe should have been lynched years ago. White racist puppy

Fuck you Carol said...

Carolyn ugly ass is still alive. Im highly disappointed that somebody hadnt put this bitch out of her misery

Fuck you Carol said...

Thats what i was thinking. Like now why is this bitch still breathing

Anonymous said...

Carolyn H Donham
1425 Rebecca Dr
Greenville, MS 38701

Unknown said...

"Roy Bryant took a friend of his on a “tour” of the sites involved in the murder in 1985, and his friend secretly recorded him, and Bryant seemed to brag about the whole thing, indicating that there were others involved, but that he wasn’t going to name them."

Did you talked with that friend for that information? Does that video or audio that the friend recorded of Bryant still exists? If it's true, I think it's important and should be made public, is that possible?

Anonymous said...

I feel so bad I wish someone would have stopped it.