Byron De La Beckwith

Byron De La Beckwith (November 9, 1920 – January 21, 2001) was an American white supremacist and the assassin of civil rights leader Medgar Evers on June 12, 1963 in Jackson, Mississippi.

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Two trials ended with deadlocked all-white juries unable to reach a verdict. Beckwith was finally convicted in 1994, based on new evidence that he had boasted about the killing at a Ku Klux Klan rally. He was given a life sentence for murder and died in prison in 2001 of heart problems, while his case was still being appealed. Insofar as Beckwith died while his appeal was pending, the conviction was vacated.

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The 1996 film Ghosts of Mississippi tells the story of the 1994 trial; James Woods portrayed De La Beckwith in an Academy Award-nominated performance. The 1964 Bob Dylan song "Only a Pawn in their Game" viewed people like De La Beckwith as pawns manipulated by a powerful few committed to preserving a racist society in the Old South: "But when the shadowy sun sets on the one/That fired the gun/He'll see by his grave/On the stone that remains/Carved next to his name/His epitaph plain:/Only a pawn in their game."

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1920: 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar)...

January 21: January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 344 days remaining (345 in leap years)....

2001: :This article is about the year 2001. For information on the movie, see '. For the Dr. Dre album, see 2001....

Byron De La Beckwith related Images and Photos (experimental)

Au Dela de la Figuration	De La Soul - Car	Venus de la Mer	De la Tierra al Cielo
Oscar De La Hoya	Luz de la Maflana	Ballet De La Rose	Ana de la Reguera
Savon De La Tulipe	Paysage de la Crau	Bieres de la Meuse	Currito de la Cruz