The two were taken into the woods and beaten. They were then stuffed into the trunk of a Volkswagen, driven across the state line into Louisiana, strapped to an old engine block and some railroad ties and dumped alive into the Mississippi River.
Arrested at the time were John Ford Seale and Charles Marcus Edwards, but charges were dropped against them when the FBI turned the case over to local authorities, because the agency was busy with another case.
Recent Developments
James Ford Seale Conviction ReinstatedJune 5, 2009
A federal appeals court has reinstated the kidnapping convictions of reputed Ku Klux Klansman James Ford Seale in the 1964 deaths of two black teenagers in Mississippi.
Previous Developments
Feds Say James Ford Seale Is 'Flight Risk'Sept. 16, 2008
Federal prosecutors say that a reputed Ku Klux Klansman, whose conviction for the abductions of two black teens in 1964 was overturned on appeal, should remain behind bars while the government appeals that ruling because he is a flight risk. Seale, now 73 years old, is in poor health.
Court Overturns James Earle Seale's Conviction
Sept. 9, 2008
In a stunning setback for federal prosecutors trying to bring unsolved civil-rights-era crimes to justice, an appeals court in New Orleans has overturned the conviction of reputed Ku Klux Klan member James Earle Seale for the murders of two black Mississippi teenagers in 1964. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Seale's attorney that the statute of limitations in the case had expired.
James Ford Seale Appeals Conviction
June 2, 2008
Reputed Ku Klux Klan member James Ford Seale appealed his conviction for the 1964 kidnapping and deaths in Mississippi of two 19-year-old black men because, his attorney argued, the statute of limitations had expired on the crimes. Seale was convicted in June 2007 in the deaths of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee.
James Ford Seale Gets 3 Life Terms
Aug. 24, 2007
A former member of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi was sentenced in federal court to three life terms in prison for his role in the 1964 abductions and murders of two black teenagers, Henry Hezekiah Dee and Charlie Eddie Moore. James Ford Seale, 71, will undoubtedly spend the rest of his days in a federal prison.
Klansman James Ford Seale Found Guilty
June 14, 2007
A federal jury found Ku Klux Klan member James Ford Seale guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy in the 1964 deaths of two black teenagers in rural Mississippi. The 71-year-old Seale faces life in prison.
Trial Opens in 1964 Mississippi Murders
June 5, 2007
As another trial began in Mississippi for civil rights era crimes, federal jurors heard prosecutors paint a gruesome picture of the deaths of two 19-year-old black teens who were beaten and drowned in 1964.
Klan Trial Set, Witness Granted Immunity
May 6, 2007
After a week filled with pretrial motions, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate refused to dismiss charges against former Klansman James Ford Seale. Charles Marcus Edwards, 72, was granted immunity for his testimony.
Trial Delayed in 1964 Murder Case
April 3, 2007
The trial of John Ford Sealed, scheduled to begin this week has been postponed. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate plans to rule on several motions in the case.
Former Klansman Arrested in 1964 Killings
Jan. 25, 2007
A former sheriff's deputy and a reputed member of the Ku Klux Klan has been arrested on federal charges in one of the unsolved crimes of the civil rights era in Mississippi, the 1964 deaths of Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hazekiah Dee.
