It is better to settle
these matters in the courts...
... than on the streets.
And new laws are needed
at every level.
But law alone cannot make
men see right.
We are confronted primarily
with a moral issue.
The heart of the question is...
... whether all Americans are
to be afforded equal rights...
...and equal opportunities...
... whether we treat
our fellow Americans...
...as we want to be treated.
If an American,
because his skin is dark...
...cannot eat lunch
in a restaurant open to the public...
...if he cannot send his children...
... to the best public school
available...
...if he cannot vote
for the officials who represent him...
...if, in short, he cannot enjoy
the full and free life...
... which all of us want...
... then who among us
would be content...
... to have the color
of his skin changed?
Who among us would then be content...
... with the counsels
of patience and delay?
One hundred years
of delay have passed...
...since President Lincoln
freed the slaves...
... yet their heirs, their grandsons
are not fully free.
They are not yet freed
from the bonds of injustice.
They are not yet freed
from social and economic oppression.
That looks like a police car.
And this nation, for all
its hopes and all its boasts...
... will not be fully free
until all its citizens are free.
We preach freedom
around the world and we mean it.
And we cherish our freedom
here at home.
Are we to say to the world...
...and much more importantly,
to each other...
... that this is a land of the free,
except for the Negroes?
That we have no second-class citizens,
except Negroes?
That we have no class
or caste system...
...no ghettos, no master race,
except with respect to Negroes?
Now the time has come for
this nation to fulfill its promise.
The events in Birmingham
and elsewhere...
...have so increased the cries
for equality that no city...
...or state or legislative body
can prudently choose...
... to ignore them.
The fires of frustration
and discord...
...are burning in every city,
North and South...
... where legal remedies
are not at hand.
Redress is sought in the streets.
We face a moral crisis
as a country and a people.
It cannot be met
by repressive police action.
It is a time to act
in the Congress...
...in your state
and local legislative body...
...and above all,
in all of our daily lives.
A great change is at hand...
...and our task...
...our obligation is to make
that revolution, that change...
...peaceful and constructive for all.
Those who do nothing...
...are inviting shame
as well as violence.
Those who act boldly
are recognizing right...
...as well as reality.
Medgar!
-Get down!
-Get the baby!
Medgar!
Oh, my God!
Daddy! Daddy!
Daddy, I love you!
Daddy, don't die!
I want my daddy!
Turn me loose.
Turn me loose.
Medgar Evers believed in this country.
It now remains to be seen
whether his country believed in him.
The Citizens Council's raised
thousands for your defense.
Money's pouring in
from all over the South.
Nice likeness.
What do you think, boys?
Mr. Beckwith, glad to see you.
Mighty glad to be here.
And isn't it true
your husband was the first...
...to attempt to integrate
the University of Mississippi?
At the time of his death,
he was involved in a lawsuit...
...to integrate the public
school system, wasn't he?
Your husband must've had quite
a few enemies, would you agree?
Yes, he did.
Your eldest boy,
his name is Kenyatta, isn't it?
Darrell Kenyatta Evers.
Kenyatta's a Mau Mau name, isn't it?
Objection.
Sustained.
Isn't it true that over 100 people
were arrested during a demonstration...
...that your husband
organized boycotting...
...a department store in downtown
Jackson known as Kennington's?
Who's that?
Ross Barnett.
You're kidding.
Nope. You don't see that
every day of the week.
A former governor shaking hands
with an assassin in front of the jury.
There's not a court in America
that would stand for that.
What's America got to do
with anything?
This is Mississippi.
Byron De La Beckwith.
-You live in Greenwood, Mississippi?
-Y es, sir.
My mother was a Yerger.
Her mother was Susan Yerger...
...a close personal friend
of Mrs. Jefferson Davis.
You shoot Medgar Evers?
No, sir!
Your Honor, may l?
Mr. Beckwith, is this your rifle?
Let's see.
Well, it bears a similarity...
...but I couldn't say for certain.
I don't record the
serial numbers of my weapons...
...and my gun was stolen
from my home several days before...
...this whole business.
How do you feel, Delay?
I got tears in my eyes.
For Dixie, huh?
In summation...
...not only did surveillance cameras
provide us with a visual record...
...of the crime being committed...
...but four eyewitnesses observed
the defendant removing his mask...
...upon exiting the convenience store.
Short of you ladies and gentlemen
attending the actual event...
...we don't feel the state
could have a stronger case.
Thank you.
Counsel?
Hey, Bobby. How'd it go?
Through a combination
of superior lawyering...
...and a less than stellar performance
by our criminal, I got a conviction.
Congratulations.
My rape victim's reluctant to testify.
Can you handle the Harrison motion?
-You bet.
-You're a lifesaver.
-DeLaughter, your wife just called.
-What'd she want?
To remind you you're having lunch with
her mother and your parents at 1:00.
How could I forget?
Bobby.
-You seen this?
-Yes, I have.
Evers' widow is calling for
the re-prosecution of De La Beckwith.
Ed, this guy was killed
over 25 years ago.
Dig up whatever you can on Medgar Evers
and be in my office at 3:00.
Ed, this is ridiculous.
Well, sure it is.
But if we try to bury this...
...she'll have every black politician
climbing all over me.
My office, 3:00.
Do we have any files here
on Medgar Evers?
Who?
The civil rights leader
that got himself shot in the 1960s?
I just saw that file. It was next
to the one on the Lindbergh baby.
Clara, just bring me what we have.
Good afternoon, sir.
Did you make Hinds County safer today?
You know how it is with criminals.
It's like finding a gray hair.
You pull one and two more pop up
to take its place.
I love those earrings.
Have you worn them before?
I've had them for quite some time.
I just never wear them during the day.
You see that nonsense
about the Sovereignty Commission?
Yeah, isn't that awful?
That fool, Rea Hederman.
Since he took over that paper...
...Iiberals like Jerry Mitchell
been trying to rewrite history.
The Sovereignty Commission was a fine
organization that did a lot of good.
Dixie, would you pass me the butter?
Why do they dig up things
that happened 25 years ago anyway?
Medgar Evers' widow
wants to reopen the case.
You can't be serious.
Ed asked me to look into it.
You just tell him, "No, thank you."
When will these people get it through
their heads that the '60s are over?
The 1860s and the 1960s.
I thought they found
that Beckwith fella not guilty.
Actually, there were two hung juries.
The reason I know is because
my late husband, Judge Moore...
...was a spectator
at both those trials.
He'd never miss a day.
And he told me...
...that they'd never convict Beckwith,
no matter how many trials they had.
It's just political. I don't
think anything will come of it.
Son, for your sake,
it had better not.
You want to be a judge someday.
You persecute a 70-year-old man,
guilty or not, over some nigger...
...you'll have everybody in Mississippi
lined up against you.
-Hey, Howard.
-How you doing?
Y'all got any
of that crawdad chowder today?
Yes, sir.
-How many for crawdad chowder?
-Oh, come on!
Mrs. Evers, Mr. Dees, I'm Jerry Mitchell
from The Clarion-Ledger.
I broke the story on the jury
tampering in your husband's case.
-I talked to you on the phone.
-That's right.
Thank you for your good work. I can't
tell you how much it's appreciated.
I'm just doing my job, ma'am.
What do you think your chances are
of getting the D.A. to reopen the case?
I've passed this way before.
Let's just say I've adopted
an attitude of tempered optimism.
DeLaughter, hear the news?
President Lincoln just got shot.
Some guy named Booth did it.
The Sovereignty Commission, a state
agency, worked against the D.A...
...to ensure the jury had Beckwith
sympathizers to keep him out of jail.
That's grounds for a new trial.
With all due respect...
...those old files have been
leaking out for years.
They only ran background checks which,
while unethical, was not illegal.
We can't prove jury tampering.
I'd like you to meet Bob DeLaughter.
How do you do?
-Pleasure.
-Mr. Morris Dees...
...the Southern Poverty Law Center.
-How you doing?
-I was explaining...
...that in order for us
to pursue this...
...we'll need more
than an article in a newspaper.
We'll need new evidence.
In 1964, you had
a mountain of evidence.
All you gotta do is retry Beckwith.
On the basis of that alone,
you'll get a conviction.
As you can see, the mountain
has crumbled a bit.
What's this?
That's all that's left of the
state's case against De La Beckwith.
Just a few pages
of the old police report.
-Where's the gun? Where--
-Where's the bullet?
Where's the original trial transcript?
Where are the files? Beats me.
Are you telling us it is lost?
I'm telling you, we don't have it.
Well, that's outrageous.
Even if we had the evidence,
we'd never get around...
...to the Sixth Amendment right
to a speedy trial.
Mr. Dees would agree that 25 years
isn't exactly what you'd call speedy.
May I see that?
Mrs. Evers, this is
pretty strong stuff.
I'd like to see it.
"June 13, 1963.
To the Jackson Police Department:
When you catch whoever killed
the nigger, pin a medal on him...
...because he just did Mississippi
one hell of a favor.
June 14, 1963.
A female who refused
to identify herself stated...
...that she'd heard a rumor
that Medgar Evers' wife...
...had gotten jealous of Lena Horne,
who appeared with Evers at a rally...
...and might have gotten
her brother-in-law to kill Evers."
Who wouldn't be jealous of Lena Horne?
What a beautiful woman.
Y es, ma'am.
The cops wrote that garbage down
because they actually took it seriously.
Mr. Dees.
Do you think the police in Washington,
D.C. would have written it up...
...if some nitwit said Jackie Kennedy
had a hand in J.F.K.'s death...
...because her husband ran around
with Marilyn Monroe?
What's your point?
The murder of Medgar Evers
was a race crime...
...a political crime.
An assassination.
Beckwith is free today...
...thanks to a racist jury,
a racist police department...
...and a racist D.A.'s office.
Twenty-five years ago,
Waller and this office...
...went after Beckwith
not once but twice.
I don't need to sit here and listen--
Twenty-five years ago,
I sat on the witness stand...
...and I watched as the former
governor of this state...
...shook hands with the man
who murdered my husband...
...while I was on the stand.
I don't expect you to understand...
...the pain and suffering
my family went through...
...but I did come here thinking...
...that this office might want
to see justice finally served.
You've given me all the reasons
why you can't pursue this.
Perhaps you can find
one reason why you can.
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Ed Peters is a good man...
...but as you can see,
we simply don't have a case.
I know you've been living
with this thing for a long while...
...but maybe it's just time you....
Let it go?
I can understand why you'd
think that, Mr. DeLaughter.
For years, I said
the same thing to Medgar.
"Let it go.
Let's get out of Mississippi."
Do you know what he said to me?
" I don't know if I'm going
to heaven or to hell...
...but I'm going from Jackson."
Good afternoon, Mr. DeLaughter.
Hey, everybody, I'm home.
Hey, tiger.
Hi, Dad.
You sure you got enough distractions?
I can go get your Game Boy.
Dad.
Hi, Daddy.
Hi, Dad.
-Did you bring me a lollipop?
-I did. I got one for Claire too.
-Thanks, Daddy.
-How was school today, sweetie?
Did Miss Collins like
the bracelet you made?
Daddy, tell us a story.
-A real scary one.
-Claire, you want to hear a story?
Okay, but not too scary.
Let's go to Mommy and Daddy's room,
because we don't wanna disturb Burt.
-You want something to eat?
-No, I got something at the office.
Thanks for letting me know.
Honey, what are you doing up?
I can't sleep.
The ghost is back.
I'll go. I'll go.
The ghost is back?
Where is he this time?
In my bed.
Really? We'll just have
to see about that.
You were right.
He's right there on the bed.
No, Daddy.
Now he's over by the window.
I see.
Your bottle tree was
supposed to keep him away.
Maybe I don't have
the right kind of bottles.
You know, baby...
...when we lived in Natchez,
there was a ghost...
...that lived right next door...
...in the remains of this house
that got burned during the war.
And sometimes he'd come over
and get right in my closet.
How'd you make him go away?
Granny would come in
and sing a song...
...and before you knew it,
he was gone.
What'd she sing?
She sang the song every ghost
from Mississippi loves.
Sing it, Daddy.
All right.
I wish I was in the land of cotton
Old times there are not forgotten
Look away
Look away
Look away, Dixieland
In Dixieland where I was born
Early on one frosty morn'
Look away, look away
Look away, Dixieland
Oh, I wish I was in Dixie
Hooray, hooray
In Dixieland I'll take my stand
To live and die in Dixie
Away, away
Away down South
In Dixie
I'd ask what's new,
but I'm afraid you'd tell me.
My readers are on the edge
of their collective seat.
Will Mr. DeLaughter go after
Byron De La Beckwith?
The D.A.'s office will investigate
the possibility of reopening the case.
I didn't go to law school,
but that sounds like bullshit.
Nice talking to you.
Have a nice day.
Can you tell me how I can get
ahold of Lewis Skinner...
...or Fred Sanders?
If you want Lewis Skinner, you'll need
a shovel and six hours of digging time.
What's Fred's status?
As far as I know,
he's still aboveground.
Back in '63,
none of those houses were there.
That was all vacant lot.
And this here was
all covered over with brush.
I got out here eight minutes
after the call came in.
The way Mrs. Evers yelled at me,
you'd think I was the one who done it.
This is where they found the gun,
hidden in some honeysuckle vines.
Any idea where
that gun might be today?
Hell, no.
Back in those days...
...evidence had a habit
of disappearing after the trials.
Look at that.
My grandmother could have
picked Evers off from over here.
That's where he was shot.
That big tree wasn't there
at the time.
There was blood everywhere.
All over the driveway,
all over the car.
It was as if somebody
had butchered a hog.
But Evers must've been one hell of a
strong man because somehow he managed...
...to drag himself
all the way up to his door.
After that bullet tore through his back,
it slammed through that window...
...crashed through a wall...
...ricocheted off the refrigerator
and busted the coffeepot.
We found it on the kitchen counter
next to a watermelon.
You're kidding me.
No, sir.
Did he have any kids?
If my memory serves, I believe there
were three little ones there that night.
What kind of man shoots another man
in the back in front of his family?
I love the land of my birth.
I do not mean
just America as a country...
...but Mississippi...
... the state in which I was born.
So the deplorable things
I speak of here today...
... will be said to you
in hopes of a future...
... where such will not
be the case in Mississippi.
In the horrific deaths...
...of Emmett Till...
...Reverend G. W. Lee...
...Lamar Smith and a variety
of other atrocities...
...no one has been convicted.
And we feel those guilty of having
committed these ungodly acts...
...had the feeling of assurance
that nothing ever would be done.
For you see, ladies and gentlemen...
... white juries have yet to convict
a white man in Mississippi...
...guilty of a crime against a Negro.
The failure of the so-called decent
or moderate white person...
... to take a positive
and uncompromising stand....
Who's that?
Medgar Evers.
Why are you looking at it?
I just wanted to get
an idea of who he was.
I'd like to get
an idea of who you are.
What's that supposed to mean?
I was willing to go down
that road with you...
...when you got out of law school
and did that pro bono work.
And when you worked for
that Jew lawyer who ran you ragged.
I minded a little when you turned down
that offer from Morse & Braggs...
...so you could be assistant D.A.
at one-fourth the salary.
But I'll be damned if I spent
10 years supporting your career...
...just so you can humiliate me.
You're gonna pursue this, aren't you?
You're gonna humiliate me
in front of my friends...
...my family and the entire state.
I'm just looking
at a couple of tapes.
Fine. Look at your tapes.
That's all you'd better do.
-Why not?
-Because you can't win.
Who says?
-The Sixth Amendment.
-Suppose I could get around it.
It's one thing for
the grieving widow to carry on--
Suppose an argument could be made
that the Sixth Amendment doesn't apply.
You want to retry Beckwith?
Fine.
Dig up 26-year-old physical evidence
which probably no longer exists...
...identify it, and then you'll have
to locate the key witnesses...
...who, if you find them,
are probably dead or senile.
Their testimony could be read
from the transcript.
We haven't seen a certified
transcript in over 25 years.
-What if I found one?
-Let's say, by some miracle...
...you found one, got an indictment.
Then by some greater miracle...
...the state Supreme Court and U.S.
Supreme Court didn't throw it out...
...and you actually got to trial.
What if you lose?
The whole state, which is supposed
to have changed so much...
...will be facing the worst
public relations disaster...
...since that black kid, Emmett Till,
bobbed up out of the river.
Are you telling me
I can't go after this?
I'm telling you
you're dealing with the past.
Mississippi's not
a place you wanna be.
Hopefully, Jerry Mitchell can
keep this thing alive for us.
Jerry Mitchell's fine, but
what we need is national press.
Darrell, CNN won't run a major story
about how the D.A. of Hinds County...
...is refusing to re-prosecute a case...
...that's a quarter of a century old.
Stop annoying your grandmama.
The greatest joy in your mother's life
is being annoyed by her grandchildren.
Next to being annoyed by you, Walter.
I'll get it.
I'm not here no matter who it is.
Who?
Just a minute, please.
I want you to eat those beans.
It's long distance from Jackson.
A man by the name of DeLaughter.
You want me to take it?
No, I'll take it.
Eat those beans.
I don't eat beans.
Hello, Mrs. Evers.
I know you probably left here
feeling pretty discouraged...
...but I hope you understand
Mr. Peters was just being realistic.
I understand perfectly.
I also wanted you to know...
...that we are going to
be keeping this case open.
Mrs. Evers?
Did it suddenly occur to
Mr. Peters that he'd better...
...start making nice with the
black community before November?
-Mrs. Evers--
-He made it clear to me...
...that in addition to having
no evidence and no witnesses...
...he also had no interest.
Looking into this wasn't so much
Mr. Peter's idea as it was mine.
-Yours?
-Yes, ma'am.
Judge Russel Moore was perhaps
the most racist judge...
...in the history
of the state of Mississippi.
Why would his son-in-law
be interested in this case?
Mrs. Evers, I'm 37 years old,
just like Medgar was...
...and I've got three kids,
like he did.
I was 11 years old
when your husband was killed...
...and I hardly remember him at all.
But I went by your house the other day
and I could see him there...
...watering his lawn...
... working on his roof...
...playing with his children.
No man has the right to take
another man away from his children.
I appreciate the call,
Mr. DeLaughter.
I'll keep in touch, Mrs. Evers.
Did you plan on telling me...
...or was I just gonna read
about it in the papers?
We should be at the
Walkers' house in 15 minutes.
Well, I've got a lot
of work to do here.
Suit yourself.
Nobody gives a goddamn
what Byron De La Beckwith did...
...to some Medgar Evers 26 years ago.
Hell, Larry Smith got shot down
in his own driveway just last week.
And it wasn't for no civil rights.
It was for his spare change.
I could have had any investigator
I wanted, and I asked for you.
Am I meant to be flattered by that?
We're supposed to nail Eddie Williams
for killing Wendell Washington...
...or that guy Pierson
for shooting Donny Brown.
That's why we're only gonna work
on this case in our spare time.
Holy shit.
Will you look at this?
You could buy a whole damn General
Electric refrigerator for $185.
T alk about your good old days.
That's my daddy.
I didn't know he was on the force too.
Sure. Detective L.C. Bennett.
He was there when they found Beckwith's
rifle, but I've never seen this.
John Goza is dead.
Herbert Speight is dead.
B.L. Pittman is dead.
Is anybody alive?
This is pointless.
It's Jerry Mitchell.
Jerry.
I don't have the gun yet.
I don't have anything. If I find
the gun, you'll be the first to know.
-Pain in my ass.
-It's funny.
I came by to see if you could
use some help on this case...
...and you've got a picture of my daddy.
We sure could use some help.
Can you bring people
back from the dead?
You're joking, but that's
exactly what we have to do.
We have to make the past
start living again.
This whole case is one big resurrection.
I want you to go through
all the literature...
...from every organization
Beckwith was part of:
White Citizens Council,
Sons of the American Revolution, KKK.
Good, I always loved homework.
We'll start by paying
these boys a little visit.
-Who's that?
-Two cops.
They saw Beckwith 90 miles away
at the time of the murder.
You think Holley and Cresswell
will admit they lied under oath?
Time has a way of cleaning up
people's memories.
I love the Delta.
It's the best place on earth.
If you're a mosquito.
-T ake care now.
-Thank you, Mr. Holley.
Sometimes you can't win for losing.
I asked you boys
to meet me out here...
...so as to avoid running
into any of my constituents.
How long have you been
an alderman up here, Mr. Holley?
Must be going on about five years.
I'll tell you this:
If word got out that I testified
on behalf of Byron De La Beckwith....
I suppose, in a way, your boss
and me got the same problem.
Sir?
If we want to keep our jobs...
...we'll have to kiss
an awful lot of black behind.
Mr. Holley...
...Evers was killed shortly after
midnight, 90 miles away in Jackson.
There's no way the killer
could have been here...
...at 1 a.m. pumping gas.
No, sir, that'd be impossible.
It was a long while ago, but I'd like
you to think back and tell me...
...are you sure about the time...
...you saw Mr. Beckwith
at that gas station?
This old memory of mine...
...gets worse and worse
with each passing year...
...but there's two things
I am pretty sure about:
It was approximately 1:03
in the morning...
...and old Delay was gassing up
that Valiant of his.
Lying son of a bitch.
You thought you'd hear
something different?
Maybe we'll have better luck
with his partner.
Y'all wanna subpoena me...
...then you go right ahead and do it.
But if I see you,
Byron De La Beckwith...
...or the blackest nigger
in this country...
...putting gas in his car
at the time of a murder...
...then that's what I'll say.
I'd say he's in our camp.
I wish I had better news
for her today.
Who's that?
Mrs. Evers.
Fill it up for me, would you, buddy?
I call her every Friday and let her
know how the case is progressing.
Got a flash for you.
This case ain't progressing.
I think about her keeping
this thing alive all this time.
Imagine a woman loving a man so much.
I can't even get a woman
to love me while I'm still alive.
Know what I did after my last divorce?
I took up golf.
Man needs a hobby to occupy his mind,
or he'll start doing crazy things...
...Iike drinking too much...
...or chasing 26-year-old murder cases
across the Mississippi Delta.
I told you I'd call you every Friday.
And it's Friday, Mrs. Evers,
so I'm calling.
This really isn't necessary.
It's important to me you know
we're doing what we can.
I wish I had better news
for you today...
...but we still haven't been able
to locate the autopsy report.
Most of the physical evidence
is still missing.
A number of the witnesses have died,
which really hurts us...
...and we've had no luck finding
the original trial transcript.
I've just spoke with
both Holley and Cresswell...
...and they're sticking
by their stories.
I'm sure as the assistant
district attorney of Hinds County...
...you're doing everything
in your power...
...to see that justice is done.
I'll call you next Friday.
I'll be on pins and needles till then.
I waited for you to come home.
I'm not taking the children with me.
I just need to be
on my own for a while.
I was just wondering
when we stopped loving each other.
I don't know.
What happened, Bobby?
People change.
You saying I've changed?
I'm saying you haven't.
-It's a beautiful area, Mr. Beckwith.
-It's heaven on earth.
Of course, like everywhere else...
... we do get the occasional
stray nigger moving in.
But their houses always
seem to burn down.
You know how careless niggers are
with their cigarettes.
A real beauty.
-Where'd you get this?
-Ed Bryson at Channel 3.
They're running a piece on Beckwith.
Do you think...
...it's a crime for a white man
to kill a black man?
God put the white man here
to rule over all the dusky races.
It says so in the Bible.
Is there a chance...
... you'd be indicted again
for the murder of Medgar Evers?
Why would I be?
Do you know of any new evidence?
-Are you a Jew?
-Catholic.
I told you, I won't talk to no Jew.
Anybody who knows anything
about Jews and niggers...
...knows that Jews put the niggers
up to all this foolishness.
This CORE and SNCC and NAACP.
If you were indicted again?
Well, I'm just gonna
tend to my business...
...Iike I always have.
I'm gonna look out
for my God, my family...
...and the whole state
of Christ's church.
That don't encompass anybody
but white Christians.
All these other...
...races and colors
and creeds and sissies...
... they are anti-Christs.
See, many of them...
...believe in human sacrifices
and voodoo and such.
According to your way
of thinking...
...how could justice be done
in the Medgar Evers murder?
First, find out
who killed the nigger.
Then you just...
...do whatever the law says
that you can do...
...if you're big enough to do it.
He's daring us to get him.
-We still ain't got nothing.
-I know what you'll say.
-Did I kill Medgar Evers?
-Did you?
I did not kill him.
But he sure is dead.
And he ain't coming back.
What did you think when
you heard he'd been killed?
I didn't shed a tear.
No, sir.
Here. The latest literary efforts
from the "Hate Group of the Month" Club.
For people who got one thing
on their minds...
...they got a lot of ways
to tell you about it.
I wonder what old Judge Moore
would think about all this.
Dixie still living with her mom?
Shit, I'm late!
Hot off the presses. Armed robbery.
A guy named Spratlin held up
Crechelle's, got away with $3800...
-...and an order of onion rings.
-I'll take care of it.
Where you going?
-I said I'd be home by 6.
-What about the Owens case?
-The assault with the baseball bat.
-No, the carjacking.
Right. I'm on top of it.
You want this Evers thing
to be your life's work...
...but there's cases that
occurred in this decade.
I promise.
This office can't keep covering
for you with the judges.
-You'd best be in court tomorrow.
-I'll be there.
Daddy...
...how come Grandpa Russel
would be mad at you?
Mommy said Grandpa Russel
would be mad at you.
Great. What else did Mommy say?
She said that you're doing something
that Grandpa won't like.
Yeah, well....
What are you doing?
Grandpa Russel and I didn't
always agree on things.
What things?
Let's see, how can I explain this?
Explain it.
Right.
You know how sometimes
people can just be different?
Like how?
Grandpa used to eat pig's knuckles.
That's how I feel.
See, we're different.
Grandpa used to like to build things.
I can't build anything,
but I like to work in the garden.
Grandpa had guns all over his house,
and we don't have any guns.
I have a gun.
Yours is a nuclear-powered laser gun.
I'm talking about
handguns and rifles.
Holy shit!
Claire, watch Drew!
Holy shit.
Don't say that.
That's a bad word.
Benny?
Sanders said something about
evidence disappearing after trials.
Do you know anything about that?
My daddy told me that kind of thing
happened all the time.
People used to take stuff as souvenirs.
You know, lawyers, bailiffs, clerks.
How about judges?
That's true.
I'm afraid I won't
be able to play Tuesday.
We have a round robin at the club,
and I promised Lou Ann.
Honey, don't worry about it.
I'll call Charlynne.
If she can't make it, I'll get Louise.
Sugar, play that jack of clubs for me
there, if you would. Please, ma'am.
Hi, Grandma.
What are you doing here?
Dixie's not here.
I thought you'd enjoy
a visit from your grandkids.
Darlin', it's my bridge night tonight.
Drew! Come here.
Well, we can't stay but a minute.
Remember that rifle Judge Moore used
to hold open the door to his study?
Have you seen that around anywhere?
Ladies, y'all know Bobby.
That's Marilyn and Jill and Leah.
I won't keep you from your game.
Go ahead and I'll be right back.
Now, what is he doing here, Caroline?
He's looking for a gun.
I don't appreciate
your roaming around.
I want you coming down
those stairs now, and leave.
I spent many a happy hour up here
arguing the law with your husband.
And if he knew what you were up to
with this Evers nonsense...
...that man would
turn over in his grave.
I said that to myself just this morning.
Dixie always said
that you were crazy as hell.
Maybe she did have a point.
I love you...
...but you and Dixie aren't
any more right for each other...
...than the man in the moon.
I'll go back
and resume my bridge game.
You go on ahead.
I'll be right down.
It's best if you come on
back down with me right now.
I prefer it.
Be careful. It could be loaded.
-Hold on to that.
-What are you doing?
-Checking this serial number.
-I love my grandchildren.
-A little bit higher.
-It's inappropriate to march in here...
...and you expect me to just let you....
What?
I love you, Caroline.
-You're full of shit.
-I logged it in the evidence locker.
-Logged what in?
-The gun that killed Medgar Evers.
-You're full of shit.
-Who?
He says he found the gun.
-You're full of shit.
-That's something to tell Mrs. Evers.
I'm not gonna tell Mrs. Evers.
You've been making those Friday calls
so she'd trust you.
-lf she finds out....
-I can't have her find out.
This can't leave the office.
The only way we're gonna get a new
indictment is if we find something...
...they didn't have 27 years ago.
The way I see it, that something
will come from Beckwith.
Right now,
he's on his mountaintop...
...shooting his mouth off
to anyone who'll listen.
No telling what incriminating thing's
liable to come out of that man.
But if he knows we have
something like this...
...he'll know we're serious
and clam up.
I doubt that Beckwith and Myrlie
speak all that often.
Myrlie speaks to Jerry Mitchell.
Jerry Mitchell speaks to the world.
"You best stop wasting
our taxpayers' money.
Enjoy your drive home."
Nice to see Jackson still
has some concerned citizens.
Well, heck, son,
what did you expect?
I expect people to act like
decent, law-abiding citizens.
This is 1990, for crying out loud.
Of course it is. And we got blacks
and whites playing ball together...
...and on the police force,
in the government, on TV.
We are a fully evolved society.
Aren't we, son?
Let me tell you something:
This country may be legally
integrated, but emotionally...
...we will always be segregated.
I don't know that I accept that.
Of course not.
You're Bobby DeLaughter...
...Mississippi's self-appointed
new civil rights leader.
Barney...
...do we have to talk about this?
No, we do not.
Who all wants some of your
grandpa's famous baby backs?
I do! I do!
You're my son.
I don't want you to get hurt.
In Jackson, Mississippi
In 1963
There lived a man
Who was brave
He fought for freedom
Hello, Mrs. Evers?
It's Bobby DeLaughter.
Nothing earth shattering, no.
We've located all the witnesses...
...but without the original
trial transcript...
...it's tough piecing the case together.
No, ma'am, that's about it.
-I wish I had more to report.
-Hang up the phone.
-Hang up the phone.
-I hope I'll have something...
...a little more exciting next Friday.
-You too.
-Hang up.
I'll call you next Friday, Mrs. Evers.
Thank you. Goodbye.
What is going on?
Would a confession by Mr. Beckwith
qualify as exciting?
What do you got?
You know Jack Ables?
The lawyer?
He's representing a movie studio
in a defamation of character suit...
...brought by a couple Klansmen.
While he was doing his research...
...he came across that.
"Klandestine."
It was written 20 years ago...
...about this Klan titan turned
FBl informant, Delmar Dennis.
On page 38, he talks about attending
a Klan rally in August of 1965.
Guess who was a motivational speaker?
-Beckwith?
-Our boy.
Listen to this.
And I quote:
" Killing that nigger gave me no more
discomfort than our wives endure...
...when they give birth
to our children."
Sounds like a confession to me.
Let's run down this Delmar Dennis.
We need to have a chat with him.
$100 says old Delmar
chickens out on us.
He's probably hiding in the woods,
shitting in his drawers.
Where the hell is this place?
This guy informed on the Klan.
He could have made a deal with them
to save his butt by delivering us.
That's a happy thought.
One of you Bobby DeLaughter?
Holding rallies and burning
crosses is one thing...
...but when they killed them
three kids up in Neshoba County...
-...freedom riders--
-Goodman, Chaney, Schwerner?
That made a lot of people
come to their senses.
That's why I decided
to go undercover for the FBl.
I need to ask you if what
you say in that book happened.
That part about Beckwith's speech
at that Klan rally. Is that a fact?
It's a fact.
I was shocked, and I remember
thinking how stupid he was...
...shooting off his mouth
like that in front of 100 men.
-Did you report that to the FBl?
-Sure, I did.
But Beckwith was a white man
accused of killing a black.
The FBl wasn't gonna blow my cover
on a case they couldn't win.
They were saving me
for Neshoba because--
Two of the victims were white.
Mr. Dennis,
if I can't build the case...
...I give you my word that
we never had this conversation.
But if I can...
...will you testify?
Byron De La Beckwith
is the craziest...
...most dangerous son of a bitch
I ever come across.
He's so crazy even
the Klan's afraid of him.
He's an old man now.
That old man is probably more dangerous
today than he was 30 years ago.
Mr. Dennis, we need your help.
I can't make no promises.
You know something, Mr. Dennis?
Six months I've worked this case.
A lot of people have told me
to give it up.
" It's 27 years old.
Let sleeping dogs lie."
But I don't see
what difference it makes...
...if a man was
bushwhacked yesterday...
...today or 27 damn years ago.
Murder is murder.
It's still my job to bring
the son of a bitch to justice.
It's still your job to help me.
No. I did my job.
I testified against the Klan.
They shot out my windows,
blew up my car.
They hunted and harassed me
for 25 years!
Don't that get me even
for the wrong I done?
We never get even
for the wrong we've done.
If I do this thing...
...you gotta promise me protection.
What's going on?
Stop that.
Stop that. IKnock it off.
Enough of that!
-What's going on?
-Eddy called you a nigger lover.
My dad says you're after a man
for something that isn't even a crime.
That's enough fighting, son.
You get on home. Go on home.
Let me take a look at you.
My God. Get in this house.
What's gotten into you?
All this fighting.
All this name-calling.
Is this what you want?
To drag your children into this?
What would you have me do?
Let a murderer go free?
I'd never tell you your business.
I'm thinking about the children.
I don't understand why every
decent person in this state...
...isn't sickened by what
happened here 27 years ago.
-Oh, Bobby.
-You're not, are you?
-Not in front of the children.
-Why not?
I was just a kid...
...and I still remember you
and your friends discussing it.
And I recollect someone saying,
"That nigger needed to be shot."
I never said a hateful
thing like that.
-You didn't cry, did you?
-I can't say that I shed any tears--
Had it been our beloved governor,
Ross Barnett, got himself shot...
...you would've been
bawling your eyes out.
Evers left a young widow and three
little kids. Why didn't you cry?
-I don't wanna discuss this now.
-Why?
Because he tried to destroy
our way of life.
And he succeeded all too well.
This state's going to hell
on account of integration.
That's a fact. If you think
they appreciate one thing...
...we gave them, you're crazy.
-Tiger, how do you feel?
-I'm all right.
-Your son has one tough nose.
-So it's not broken?
It'll be tender for a couple days,
then it'll be good as new.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
You're welcome.
Thank you, ma'am.
Are you the one involved
in this Medgar Evers thing?
Yes, I am.
I think what you're trying to do
is very important.
Thank you very much.
I don't want you kids getting
into anymore fights.
-But he called you a--
-I don't care what he called me.
It doesn't bother me. You gotta
learn not to let it bother you.
A lot of people around here
don't like what Daddy's doing now.
What are you doing, Daddy?
I'm trying to put a bad man in jail.
Mama says what you're doing is wrong.
Grandma said Edgar Mevers
is ruining our life.
Medgar Evers was a good guy
who tried to help people.
Did he try to beat the bad guys?
Yes, he did. He fought
so that black people...
...could eat in the same restaurants,
swim in the same pools...
...shop in the same stores and go
to the same schools as white people.
What's wrong with that?
Nothing.
But you'll hear people say
all kinds of bad things...
...about what your daddy's doing.
They're gonna tease you,
try to pick fights.
But no matter what they do...
...I want you to walk away.
What if they say
something really mean?
They're only words. They can't
hurt you unless you let them.
Is this about sticks and stones?
That's exactly what this is about.
Y'all understand what I'm saying?
Yes, sir.
All right.
All y'all get on to bed now.
Good night.
I heard you had a little visit
with my friend Delmar.
Mr. Beckwith?
Next time you see old Delmar,
you tell him for me...
...there are a lot
of dark, winding roads...
... between the backwoods of Louisiana
and a courtroom in Mississippi.
A man could get lost.
Claire, what's the matter?
The ghost's in my room again.
Let's see what we can do.
-Where is he?
-Sitting right there.
Oh, right.
Daddy, sing "Dixie."
Hop into bed, sweetie.
Sing.
You know, sweetie, maybe
" Dixie" is not the right song.
Maybe that's why
this ghost keeps coming back.
-But you said--
-I know, baby.
But I'm not so sure
that all ghosts like "Dixie."
But how do we know
what this ghost likes?
Seeing as this is your special ghost,
maybe he'll like your favorite song.
"Old MacDonald"?
Let's give it a try.
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a--
What?
A ghost?
And on that farm he had a ghost
E-I-E-I-O
With a boo boo here
And a boo boo there
Here a boo, there a boo
Everywhere a boo boo
You wanted to have lunch
to talk about Burt's nose?
No, actually, l....
I didn't think so.
So then, this is a date?
Apparently.
In the hospital cafeteria?
I took a chance. I thought
it would either be stupid or charming.
What do you think?
Is there a third choice?
Extremely charming?
That's the one.
How'd you get into all this?
You want the standard answer
or the truth?
How about a little of both?
I always liked helping people...
...and I like the hours.
Which answer was that?
A little of both.
But I do like that I work
one week on and one week off.
Can't beat that.
Have to be careful not to shop
too much in that week off.
That can kill you.
What about you?
I wanted to be a lawyer
since I was a little kid.
I watched Perry Mason...
...all the time.
I identified with him.
-But he was a defense attorney.
-I know.
Later, I realized the only way
he ever won a case...
...is if some guy jumped up
and yelled, "I did it!"
That didn't happen often,
so I switched to the other side.
I think it's a good thing you did.
You would be in
the minority these days.
There are a lot more people
on your side than you think.
You're not saying that because
I bought you a lime Jell-O?
Well, it is the way
to a woman's heart.
But if you could pull this off,
it'd do Mississippi a whole lot of good.
And if I don't?
I'll pretend I never met you.
I have renewed faith
in the institution of marriage.
I can't get enough
of my hunk of burning love.
Not now, Clara May!
Clara Mayfield.
-It's Jerry Mitchell.
-I'll take it.
-I know you have the gun.
-We've been over this.
I know you found it
in Russel Moore's den.
There'll be a story about how the
D.A. Iied to the people of Jackson...
...and how Bobby DeLaughter
lied to Myrlie Evers.
I'm calling to see
if you care to comment.
You've explained why
you lied to the press.
You still have not explained
why you lied to me.
I told you. Jerry Mitchell
is a loose cannon.
This case was so delicate,
I didn't want to take chances.
I'm the last person on earth who
would jeopardize this investigation.
There's something
you're not telling me.
I swear to God, there is no cover-up.
You fully intend to seek
an indictment and a new trial?
That's what we've
been working toward.
I thought so, Mr. DeLaughter.
I thought so.
This latest revelation only proves
what we've suspected all along.
Peters and DeLaughter are just putting
on a show for the black community.
As far as I'm concerned, they're nothing
but a pair of lying racists...
...who never, I repeat, never...
...had any intention
of prosecuting this case.
You wanted to see me?
Come on, sit down.
You don't mind being seen in
the same room with a "lying racist"?
I don't mind if you don't.
You know Pat Bennett?
Sure, she's one of the best
lawyers in the state.
Why are we talking about her?
I thought she might be able
to help you on the case.
I've got it under control, Ed.
You have your share of
the 93 capital murder cases...
...we have waiting for trial
under control?
What new excuse would
you suggest I give...
...to the families as to why those
who've murdered their loved ones...
...have yet to see a courtroom?
I'm just curious.
The fact that Pat Bennett is black...
...wouldn't have anything to do
with this, would it?
I'm not gonna dignify that.
Whatever you may think,
this is not the Bobby DeLaughter case.
This is a case against the peace
and dignity of Mississippi.
Monday morning, I'm making a change.
You're about to hear the testimony
of a fingerprint expert...
...concerning evidence he claims
to have identified in a certain glass.
You're entitled to consider...
... the prosecution's failure to make
the glass available to the defense.
It is permissible that for one fact
alone to raise a doubt in your minds...
... that will require
Mrs. Savage's acquittal.
-Can he do that?
-This is my case, damn it.
How dare they say
I'm putting on a show?
Only two people care about
this case, and I'm one of them.
If anybody's putting on a show,
they are. The only thing they' re--
They're only trying to stir up
emotions and position themselves...
...as the saviors
of the black community.
Where you going?
This is Bobby DeLaughter.
I hope I didn't disturb you.
This won't take but a minute, ma'am.
When I started off,
I had nothing more than...
...a couple of pages
in an old police report.
I spent the better part of a year
bumping up against dead witnesses...
...and tracking down live ones.
My car's been vandalized,
my son's been in a fight...
...and I've been called ugly things
by every racist in Mississippi.
Now, when there's a chance
for an indictment...
...I've gotta fight off
black politicians too.
I'm sorry I lied about the gun,
but I've made a commitment to this case.
I'll be goddamned--
Pardon me, if I give it up
to some special prosecutor...
...I don't care if he's
black, green or blue.
I'm committed and I'm asking you
to make a commitment to me.
If you do, I'll ride this thing
to the finish line...
...or collapse
heading in that direction.
Thank you for your call,
Mr. DeLaughter.
The hell with her!
She's like all the rest.
The white world hasn't gone out
of its way to make her trusting.
When does it start?
What do I have to do?
We had a real chance to send
a message to this country...
...that Mississippi isn't
a bunch of redneck racists.
My mother was right. We should
separate and let the South rise again.
-You don't believe that.
-Why not?
She doesn't want my help.
I'm just another white man
putting her in her place.
She sees no difference
between me and Beckwith.
-You didn't tell her about the gun.
-Right.
If I had it to do over again,
I still wouldn't have told her.
IKeeping the discovery of the murder
weapon a secret was a good strategy.
It wouldn't bother her a lick if I was
black. I'd just be a smart lawyer.
You can't have it both ways.
What do you mean by that?
You said the reason you didn't
tell her about the gun...
...was that you were afraid
she would leak the story.
You can't expect her to trust you,
if you don't trust her.
I want you to meet with Pat Bennett
and bring her up to speed.
Fine.
It's for the best.
If you say so.
I'm going out.
You want something?
I'd like a Mercedes convertible,
but I'd settle for a Dr. Pepper.
There are four important
things in my life:
Medgar, Walter...
...my children...
...and this...
...the original
court-certified transcript.
I've kept this for 27 years...
...through three district attorneys.
Once I give this up...
...I know that it may be gone forever.
I don't believe you'll find
anymore opposition...
...to your continuing
to handle this case.
Thank you, ma'am.
It's truly appreciated.
Let's get the son of a bitch.
My pleasure.
The decision by the D.A.'s office...
...to re-open the 27-year-old murder
case of Byron De La Beckwith...
...continues to cause controversy.
Citizens of Jackson are concerned...
... that taxpayers' money is being
used to dig up the past.
The grand jury handed down an
indictment of Byron De La Beckwith...
...in the murder of
civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
Extradition in the Beckwith case...
...is seen as a stumbling
block for the D.A.'s office.
I plan to fight repossession--
What's the word?
Extradition tooth, nail and claw!
In an attempt to replace
a lost autopsy report...
... the D.A.'s office of Hinds County
today received permission...
...by the Evers family
to exhume the body...
...of slain civil rights leader
Medgar Evers.
The body, buried in
Arlington National Cemetery in 1963...
... was found in remarkably
near-perfect condition.
After 18 months, extradition was
finally granted...
...in the case
of Byron De La Beckwith...
... the man accused of slaying
civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
Beckwith will face murder charges
30 years after the initial two trials...
...for the same offense
ended in hung juries.
Thank you, son.
" I first received the call...
...at 9 :42 p. m...
...on the night of June 12, 1963.
My partner and I responded
and proceeded to the crime scene...
...Iocated at 2332 Guynes Street."
That's pretty good, Benny...
...but just because you read
the part of a dead witness...
...doesn't mean you have to
act like you're actually dead.
I'm doing my best.
I know you are.
Medgar Evers' autopsy report
just came in.
You're not gonna believe this.
He's still dead.
Thank you, Clara.
I got off the phone with Charles Evers.
He won't come to the trial.
Did he say why?
He wouldn't say.
Get me the address
of his radio station.
They found a bullet fragment
in the body.
It's consistent with a.30-06 Enfield.
You'll be sorry. What happened to
that nigger will happen to you.
Another one?
Closer we get to trial, the more
nutjobs will crawl out of the woodwork.
You got a gun?
Here. T ake this.
No, wait. T ake this.
T ake this.
That was Muddy Waters doing
his thing for y'all.
Now I'll play a little something
that goes way back.
The great Robert Johnson.
Mr. Evers?
-Hi, I'm--
-Bobby DeLaughter.
Please sit down.
Robert Johnson.
IKing of the Delta Blues.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
May your soul rise up to heaven...
...'fore the devil knows you're dead.
They say Robert Johnson sold his soul to
the devil to play the guitar like that.
What do you think?
If the devil wanted my soul, it'd cost
a lot more than some guitar lessons.
I believe after this trial's over...
...Mississippi come through this time.
That's why I came here
to talk with you, Mr. Evers.
Would you change your mind and come
to the trial? Your presence...
...would mean a great deal.
Let me tell you something.
Medgar was my baby brother.
There ain't nothing
I wouldn't do for him.
When we were little kids...
...we used to sleep in the same bed.
And on cold nights...
...I'd climb in first just so I could
warm up the sheets for him.
I didn't go to the first two trials.
Myrlie...
...a lot of people,
they criticized me for that.
But I won't go
to no third trial neither...
...and for the exact same reason.
I know if I ever got in the same room
with Byron De La Beckwith...
...as God is my witness...
...I'd wrap my hands around
his chicken neck and snap it in half.
And nobody...
...be able to stop me.
I wouldn't blame you.
Nobody hardly ever...
...remembers Medgar anymore.
Whites or blacks.
And that's a goddamn shame.
Because whatever rights
the black man has now...
...he's got because of something
called the Civil Rights Movement.
And for a long time here
in the state of Mississippi...
...before the television, newspapers,
back before the fancy speeches...
...my brother, Medgar, was
the Civil Rights Movement.
I'm sitting here tonight,
talking to my friend and your friend...
...Assistant District Attorney
Bobby DeLaughter.
We're talking about my brother,
Medgar Evers...
...and we're gonna play the blues
for Medgar all night long.
You and my sister-in-law...
...you get justice for my brother.
Devil, if you listening...
...I won't sell my soul
for no guitar lessons...
...but I'll sell my soul for that.
Are you surprised bail
was granted so quickly?
Mr. Beckwith was being held
as a political prisoner.
He's not been found guilty.
Why should he be kept in jail?
Mr. Scott, you're an officer
of the Nationalist Movement, correct?
Is that where the money came from
to secure his bond?
Mr. Beckwith has a lot of friends here.
We'll do whatever it takes.
Suppose he doesn't show for the trial?
Suppose he leaves the country?
If he runs, we'll find him.
How long will that take?
Another five years? Another 10?
I've already devoted a lifetime to this.
That ought to be enough.
Yes, ma'am. It sure ought to be.
I'm sorry, Bobby.
It's all right, Mrs. Evers.
It's quite all right.
-How's Jared doing?
-Fine.
He and Burt seem like
they've been brothers all their lives.
They all sleeping?
And that's what you should be doing.
I want the opening statement
to be great.
It was great when you read
it three nights ago.
Unless you snuck in something about...
...Beckwith deserving
the Nobel Peace Prize...
...I'm sure it'll be great
tomorrow morning.
You see? That's why I look to you.
Eliminate Nobel Peace Prize reference.
That's good.
I left a gift for you in appreciation
for everything you're doing...
... to ruin civilized society.
-What the hell is this?
-It's scheduled to go off at 10 p.m.
You have a nice night.
It's a bomb.
Everybody, get up.
Let's go.
What's going on?
It's nothing at all. Outside that door.
A little drill is all.
Head for the front door.
Is this still the drill?
Where are we going, Dad?
Told you we're going
to the Holiday Inn.
Is that where we're going?
The Holiday Inn?
That's right.
We haven't found anything,
but we'll go through it one more time.
I appreciate that.
I told them if anything ever happened,
all they had to do was walk away.
How're they supposed to walk away
from a bomb?
There wasn't a bomb.
This time.
If you want to give this thing up,
I understand.
No one could fault you. But the world
isn't going to be any safer.
I don't give a shit about the world.
These are my children.
Yes, they are.
Someday they'll be able
to tell their children...
...that their daddy put away
Medgar Evers' killer.
Medgar Evers was a fool,
and my daddy was right.
Doesn't matter how many
civil rights laws you pass.
You'll never legislate
how people think.
There are always gonna be
a few misguided people.
I'm not talking about a few people.
I'm talking about everybody, about us.
Do we have one single
black friend? No.
We don't have dinner with them
or have them over.
We don't sit with them in church.
You think this one trial will
magically change this?
No, I don't.
It's a step.
That's all anyone can do
is take a step.
Why do I have to take that step?
So some sick son of a bitch
can murder my wife and kids?
Excuse me if I'm not interested
in taking that step.
Where are you going?
For a drive.
" I don't know if I'm going to heaven
or hell, but I'm going from Jackson."
We're on record in the matter
of Mississippi v. Byron De La Beckwith.
Does prosecution have
its opening statement?
We do, Your Honor.
Ladies and gentlemen...
...this is a very simple case.
It's about a man whose life
was snuffed out...
...on June the 12th of 1963...
...by a bullet that tore
through his body.
A bullet aimed out of prejudice...
...propelled by hatred...
...and fired by
a back-shooting coward...
...from ambush...
...at night.
The evidence will overwhelmingly show
that Byron De La Beckwith...
...a self-proclaimed, rabid racist
on a lifelong mission...
...to purge society
of anyone and anything...
...that stood for integration...
...is the man that fired that bullet.
Evidence will show how, when he
thought he beat the system...
...he bragged about what he'd done.
Bragged about getting
away with murder.
The evidence will undeniably show that
the person who pulled the trigger...
...and ended the life of Medgar Evers
is this defendant...
...Byron De La Beckwith.
Mr. Coxwell?
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
My name is Merrida Coxwell.
This is James Kitchens...
...and we are representing
Mr. Beckwith.
Mr. DeLaughter started
his opening statement...
...by saying that this was
a very simple case.
I agree with him.
But what Mr. DeLaughter is going
to rely on is for you...
...to convict Mr. Beckwith
simply because of his opinions.
That's because...
...he knows that the state cannot prove
to you beyond a reasonable doubt...
...that the defendant committed
the crime.
By the time this trial is over...
...you will have seen it was
physically impossible...
...for Mr. Byron De La Beckwith
to have killed Medgar Evers.
Mr. Beckwith is not guilty.
That's what the proof will show.
Thank you.
The state may call its first witness.
The state calls Myrlie Evers.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the truth...
-...the whole truth, so help you God?
-I do.
Be seated.
Will you tell us your name?
My name is Myrlie Evers.
Going back to 1963,
were you married at that time?
Yes, I was.
And to whom were you married?
Medgar Wylie...
...Evers.
When was the last time
you saw your husband alive?
June 11, 1963.
I'd fallen behind...
...in my housework
and got up early that morning...
...to iron some shirts for Medgar.
By the time he woke...
...I had 10 freshly ironed shirts
neatly hung on hangers.
He said, "I thank you
for ironing these shirts...
...but I'm not going to need them."
Before he left for work that morning,
he kissed us all goodbye...
...and then left.
But then he came back...
...and took me aside.
He said, "If anything
should happen to me...
...I want you to promise me...
...you will take care of my babies."
I said, "Of course.
They're my babies too."
He then kissed us all
goodbye again and left.
Could you tell the jury
what you remember...
...seeing and hearing when your husband
returned home that night?
It was just after midnight
when he got home.
We heard the car.
And then there was...
...this horrible blast.
The children...
...fell to the floor
as their father had taught them.
I bolted to the front door.
Medgar was lying in the carport.
He still had his keys in his hand.
Blood everywhere.
The children came out
shortly after I did...
...and they were screaming...
... "Daddy!
Daddy, get up!
Daddy, please get up."
But I knew he would
never get up again.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
Mr. McIntyre, have you ever owned
a 1917 Enfield.30-06 rifle?
Yes, I have.
Did you own that rifle in 1963?
Sometime, I believe in 1960,
I traded it to Mr. Beckwith.
Mr. McIntyre, I want to show you
this firearm and ask if you would...
...read the serial number
on the barrel, please.
1-0-5-2-6-8-2.
Thank you. Going back to exhibit 35,
would you read the serial number...
...on the invoice of the gun
that you purchased...
...and later traded to Mr. Beckwith?
1-0-5-2-6-8-2.
Ms. Holder, were you at Joe's Drive-In
on the night of June 11, 1963?
Yes, sir.
I wasn't working, but I was there
hanging out with my friends.
T ell the jury if there came
a time when your attention...
...was directed towards
any particular automobile.
Being a carhop, you notice cars.
This one had a long antenna
on the side of it.
We thought at first
it was a patrol car.
It was white and it had
a lot of mud on it.
It was a Plymouth Valiant.
Mr. Hargrove, were you employed by the
Jackson Police Department in June 1963?
Yes, I was.
In charge of the ldentification Division
for 42 years.
Did you reach a conclusion
as to whose fingerprint...
...was on the telescopic side
of the gun...
...recovered in your presence
on June 12, 1963?
Yes, sir. I did.
With 14 points of identification,
there's more than enough...
...to identify the fingerprint
of Mr. Byron De La Beckwith.
After four days of testimony in the
trial of white supremacist Beckwith...
...the prosecution, thus far, has
presented essentially the same case...
...as was offered up
in the two original trials.
However, this time there are
two significant differences.
First, the makeup of the jury.
In 1964, Beckwith faced
two all-male, all-white juries.
Today, he faces a jury made up
of eight blacks and four whites.
Tomorrow the prosecution is expected
to introduce three new witnesses...
... who did not testify
in the first two trials.
State your name for the record.
Delmar Dennis.
Mr. Dennis, in March of 1964...
...were you a member
of an organization known as...
...the White Knights
of the Ku Klux Klan?
I was.
In September of that year...
...did you become
a paid informant for the FBl?
I did.
And in your capacity as informant...
...did you ever encounter
the defendant, Byron De La Beckwith?
I did.
What were the circumstances
of that encounter?
On August 8, 1965,
I met Mr. Beckwith...
...at a Klan meeting
in Byram, Mississippi.
He was a featured speaker that night.
Now, during that talk, would you tell
the jury what, if anything...
...the defendant said about the murder
or shooting death of Medgar Evers.
He said, "Killing that nigger gave me
no more inner discomfort...
...than our wives endure
giving birth to our children.
We gotta kill those enemies...
...including the President,
from the top down."
Did he say anything else?
Yes, sir.
He said, "You're gonna get away
with it like I did."
Thank you, Mr. Dennis.
Your witness.
You have seen FBl reports
about your activities...
...as a paid informant, haven't you?
Mr. DeLaughter's office
furnished me with copies.
In fact, there are...
...pages and pages of dialogue...
...that you reported
to the FBl of things...
...that various people said
over lunch, over dinner...
...riding in cars, meetings.
Isn't that right?
Yet, nowhere in all those reports...
...does the quotation that you
attributed to Mr. Beckwith appear.
Does it?
Maybe the pages got lost
over the years.
And maybe they never existed.
Objection.
Sustained.
Dog ate my homework.
Mr. Dennis, did Byron De La Beckwith...
...ever specifically say
that he killed Medgar Evers?
He never said, "I killed
Medgar Evers. "That's true.
No further questions.
That's what he meant.
We ask that the witness's unsolicited
opinion be stricken...
...and that the jury disregard it.
The jury will disregard
Mr. Dennis' last statement.
I was standing out in the yard,
and he said something to me about...
...having been tried twice
in Mississippi...
...for "killing that nigger."
And what'd he say about that?
He said...
... "I had a job to do and I did it."
Thank you, Mr. Prince.
Nothing further.
Back in 1986, when Mr. Beckwith
allegedly made this statement to you...
...you went straight
to the authorities, didn't you?
Well, you must've told
some of your buddies.
You didn't tell anybody you were
renting a house from a man...
...who admitted to you
that he'd killed somebody?
I didn't at that time, no.
Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith had you
thrown out of the house...
...because you had
a drinking problem, right?
I had a drinking problem...
...but that's not why they--
You don't particularly like Mr. Beckwith
for throwing you out, do you?
Mrs. Morgan...
...when you lived in Greenwood,
Mississippi in the early 1970s...
...did you and your husband give
the defendant a ride to Parchman Prison?
Yes, sir.
Me and my husband, Lloyd, was going
to see Lloyd's brother...
...Jimmy Dale Morgan...
...and Mr. Beckwith was going to see
some friend of his...
...whose name he wouldn't tell us.
During that time, did he make
any statements concerning the murder...
...of Medgar Evers?
Yes, sir.
He said that he had killed
Medgar Evers, a nigger...
...and said we'd better not say anything
about us driving him up to Parchman...
...because he wasn't scared
to kill again.
Thank you, Mrs. Morgan.
You have had some
very traumatic things...
...happen to you in your life,
haven't you?
Most definitely.
Your estranged husband...
...Lloyd Morgan, was
very abusive to you.
Objection. Irrelevant.
Where are you going with this?
If you'll allow me...
...this line of questioning speaks
directly to this witness's credibility.
Overruled.
Your husband, you told us...
...carried on an incestuous
relationship with one of his children.
Yes, he did.
And your father...
...was very abusive to you
when you were a child.
Yes, sir.
And as a result...
...of all this...
...you have been diagnosed
by psychiatrists...
...as having an anxiety disorder.
Yes, sir, I have.
I have nothing further.
If this jury wants to believe
a lying drunk, a paid informant...
...and a damn loony bird...
...then I might be
in a bit of trouble.
But not as much trouble
as our beloved justice system.
And this Prince fella
still owes me $ 64 worth of rent.
How do you account for
the matching numbers on the gun?
My rifle was stolen days
before this nigger turned up dead.
Turn those lights off.
Mom, how can you stand
watching this idiot?
When your father died...
...I carried around
such hatred for that man...
... I actually made inquiries
into having him killed.
But in time, I was able
to let that hatred go.
I don't know how.
I remembered something
your father once said to me.
He said, "When you hate,
the only person who suffers is you.
Because most of the people you hate...
...don't know it
and the others don't care."
The big question here is
will Beckwith testify...
...as he did so confidently
back in 1964?
Everybody wants to see
the Byron De La Beckwith Show.
What if putting him on is too risky?
You kidding? He'll wanna tell
that cock-and-bull story...
...about his gun being stolen
two days before the murder.
Besides, this is Byron De La Beckwith
we're talking about.
Summoned from his mountain
by God Almighty...
...to give us
the word according to Delay.
He'll testify.
I'll see you upstairs.
Something happen to you in your boyhood
make you mean-spirited...
...enough to turn on your own?
Do what the good Lord and Mississippi
got every right to expect you to do.
Which is?
Putting niggers away for killing white
people instead of the other way around.
Mr. Peters and y'all should be run out
of this state for this foolishness...
...and y'all probably will be.
This is not some deer you brought down.
This is a human being.
A deer, Mr. DeLaughter,
is a beautiful animal.
It's one of God's creatures.
I would never kill a deer.
A nigger, on the other hand,
that's another matter entirely.
Are you standing here
admitting to me that you--
IKilled Medgar Evers?
What if I did?
It's not like there's anything you
nor anybody else can do about it.
Is there?
We'll see about that.
Oh, that we will.
That we will.
You know, it only takes
but one of them, doesn't it?
The question is...
...which one will it be?
Maybe that chubby white gal
who'd be sorely vexed...
...to let one of her own kind be
put away, no matter what she told you.
Or maybe that old nigger minister...
...who won't want sending a sick
old man to prison on his conscience.
You ain't never gonna get 12 people
to convict me of killing a nigger...
...in the state of Mississippi.
No, sir. Hell, I don't even have
to take the stand.
Couple more days, I'll be heading back
to my home in T ennessee...
...where I will sit on my porch...
...and live out my days
in peace and prosperity.
What are you gonna do?
What are you gonna do?
" Free at last, free at last.
Great God Almighty, I'm free at last!"
The defense calls James Holley.
Relax. He's just needling you.
He'll testify.
Raise your right hand.
You swear the testimony you'll give
is the whole truth, so help you God?
-I do.
-Be seated.
Mr. Holley, did you have a personal
relationship with the defendant?
No, sir. None whatsoever.
I just kind of knew who he was.
Mr. Holley, in the early morning
of June 12th, 1963...
...did you have occasion
to see Mr. Beckwith?
He was standing outside
at a Shell station...
...while the attendant was
putting gas in his car.
T ell the jury what time
you saw him.
At approximately 1:03 in the morning.
About how many miles is it
from Greenwood to Jackson?
Must be around 90, 95 miles.
So you saw the defendant
less than an hour after the murder...
...calmly standing by his car some 95
miles away from the scene of the crime?
I have nothing further.
Mr. Holley...
...on the night you say you saw...
...Byron De La Beckwith
in Greenwood....
Delay, as you call him, I believe.
Is that right?
Delay Beckwith, yes, sir.
Why do you call him Delay?
Are y'all first-name buddies?
No, sir. I call him Mr. Beckwith
most of the time.
We just noted...
... "Delay's car"
and "Delay and the attendant."
Isn't that exactly what you told
me and my investigators...
...when we asked what you were
doing that night?
"Delay."
Your buddy.
My friend.
And how long has he been your friend?
-Just shortly after World War ll.
-When you said...
...you had no personal relationship
with him, that wasn't entirely true.
You've known him a long time and been
friends a long time, right?
Well, sure, we're friends.
Just like I hope
you and I are friends.
Pardon?
I said just like I would hope
you and I are friends.
I'm flattered.
Let me ask you this.
At the time the defendant
was arrested...
...there were a whole lot
of law enforcement people...
...trying to gather
information, am I right?
FBl, Jackson Police.
Do you remember that?
Did you speak to...
...Detective Sanders,
one of the investigators?
I might've spoken a word with him.
Then you told him you saw Beckwith
in Greenwood the night of the killing.
-ls that right?
-I did not.
Why not?
I had no reason to tell
unless he asked.
You had no reason, as a sworn police
officer, to tell an investigator...
...in an important murder case...
...that you knew the suspect was 90
miles away at the time of the murder?
I'd have been butting
into his investigation--
You'd have been "butting into his
investigation "by telling him an alibi?
Sure.
Did you ever go to the D.A.
and tell them what was going on?
Did you tell the FBl
what was going on?
The only person you spoke to
about this case was Hardy Lott...
...Mr. Beckwith's defense attorney.
-When he called me--
-How long was...
...the defendant in jail by then?
A couple of weeks?
I don't remember, exactly.
Well, let me help you out.
It was over eight months.
Eight months.
You let your buddy sit in jail
all that time...
...and never once told anyone,
"You've got the wrong guy."
You're asking this jury
to believe that?
Yes, sir.
Earlier in your testimony, you said
that you and I are friends, right?
Said what?
That we're friends.
You and I are friends.
You still think we're friends?
Sure.
As my friend, if I ever go
to jail for murder...
...don't leave me there
for eight months...
...if you know where I was
when the murder took place.
Objection!
That was a thing of beauty.
Nothing further.
Will you redirect?
Thank you, Your Honor.
Would you lie for Mr. Beckwith?
Did he ask you to?
As a former police officer,
you know perjury is a serious crime.
I'm gonna ask you this one last time.
On the night that Medgar Evers
was killed...
...did you or did you not see
Beckwith some 95 miles away...
...from where the murder took place?
I saw him.
As God is your judge.
As God is my judge.
Thank you, Mr. Holley.
We have nothing further.
No further questions.
You may step down.
Is the defense prepared to call
its next witness?
Your Honor...
...the defense rests.
-What?
-Damn!
Quiet.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Quiet or I'll order the bailiff
to clear the courtroom.
Coward to the end.
To my knowledge...
...this jury is being asked
to look further...
...into the past than any jury...
...in the history
of American jurisprudence.
That places you folks
at a considerable disadvantage.
Evidence has been lost.
They don't have the bullet.
They don't have the spent cartridge
case that was found in the gun.
They don't have the live ammunition
that was found in the gun.
Where is it?
Nobody knows.
Does this create reasonable doubt?
Of course it does.
And you have heard a number
of witnesses testify...
...that years after the crime,
Mr. Beckwith said this...
...or Mr. Beckwith said that.
But the defense has presented you
with an eyewitness.
A sworn officer of the law...
...who has testified under oath
that he saw the defendant...
...in Greenwood, Mississippi,
over 90 miles from Jackson...
...Iess than an hour after the murder.
Does that create reasonable doubt?
You bet it does.
And reasonable doubt
means one thing...
...and one thing only.
By law...
...you must render
a not guilty verdict.
Forget that it's Byron "Delay" Beckwith.
Forget that you may not like him,
that you...
...may not agree with him.
Judge the evidence...
...and judge it fairly.
Because...
...in the United States...
...we don't do that for people
we just like and admire.
We do that for everybody...
...that's on trial...
...in an American court of law.
Because if the system doesn't work...
...for Byron De La Beckwith...
...it doesn't work...
...for anyone.
I ask you to let the system work...
...and once and for all...
...find the defendant...
...Byron De La Beckwith,
not guilty.
Thank you.
An unarmed man...
...arrives home in the late hours
of the night...
...home to his family, his wife...
...and three small children...
...gets out of his car...
...and with his back turned...
...is gunned down by a coward.
That coward is...
...Byron De La Beckwith.
His gun.
His scope.
His fingerprint.
His car.
And lastly, but certainly not least,
his mouth.
When he thought he got away with it...
...he couldn't keep his mouth shut
with people he wanted to impress.
And now his venom has come back
to do him in...
...because, ladies and gentlemen...
...there is no statute
of limitations on murder.
The law doesn't say
that if you killed someone...
... 10 years ago or 20 years ago...
...or even 30 years ago,
that you don't have to pay the price.
The law doesn't say that if you are
50 years old or 60 years old...
...or 70 years old,
that you don't have to pay the price.
No man...
...is above the law.
And for what reason...
...was Medgar Evers' life taken?
For wanting some degree
of equality for himself...
...his family and his fellow man.
Ladies and gentlemen,
when that kind of murder happens...
...no matter who the victim...
...no matter what his race...
...there is a gaping wound...
...Iaid open on society as a whole.
Justice...
...has sometimes been referred to...
...as the soothing balm
to be applied...
...to the wounds inflicted on society.
But when there is no justice...
...those wounds can never be cleansed.
Those wounds can never be healed.
When I addressed you
in my opening statement...
...I said that this was a simple case.
Well, I was right and I was wrong.
The evidence is simple...
...and the conclusion is
more than obvious.
But the reason we are all...
...sitting in this courtroom
so many years after...
...this disgraceful
assassination took place...
...is anything but simple.
President John F. Kennedy...
...in his landmark civil rights speech
to the nation...
...delivered on the very night
Medgar Evers was murdered, said...
... "We face a moral crisis
as a country...
...and as a people.
Those who do nothing are
inviting shame...
...as well as violence.
Those who act boldly are
recognizing right...
...as well as reality."
Today, 30 years later...
...on behalf of the state
of Mississippi...
...I'm asking you 12 ladies
and gentlemen to act boldly.
To hold this defendant accountable
and find him guilty...
...simply because it is right...
...it is just...
...and Lord knows, it is time.
Is it ever...
...too late to do the right thing?
For the sake of justice...
...and for the hope of us
as a civilized society...
...I sincerely pray that it is not.
Thank you.
How long do you think they'll be out?
All I know is a short time is good
and a long time is...
...not so good.
Then I'll pray for a short time.
This reminds me of Medgar's office
on Lynch Street.
You know, I used to be
Medgar's secretary.
He insisted that we behave
in the office...
...strictly as employer-employee.
He'd call me Mrs. Evers,
and I'd have to call him Mr. Evers.
Is that right?
Everybody thought he was crazy.
But he was just so determined
to do a good job.
You remind me of Medgar.
Thank you, ma'am.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
No, thanks.
As many trials as I've been through
and I can never take the waiting.
Wanna go for a walk?
No, you go ahead. I've gotten
pretty good at waiting.
That Judge Hilburn...
...he don't have a lot of patience.
That jury ain't back with a verdict
in a few hours...
...he'll declare a mistrial.
I'm not sure I got that.
Would you mind repeating that,
please?
You did say mistrial, didn't you?
I'm gonna snooch you.
All rise.
When the verdict is read...
...there will be no demonstrations...
...or any emotional outbursts
of any type.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
It has, Your Honor.
If the bailiff will hand me
the verdict.
I'll ask the jury at this time
to stand and face the defendant.
The defendant will face the jury.
The jury foreman will now
read the verdict.
We the jury...
...find the defendant...
...Byron De La Beckwith,
guilty as charged.
-Quiet in this courtroom.
-Guilty.
Mrs. Evers, how did you feel
when the verdict came in?
It's been a long journey.
Medgar, I've gone the last mile
of the way.
I've gone the last mile of the way.
And all I want to say...
...is yea, Medgar!