Who we are & what we do
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board is a nonpartisan panel of private citizens, appointed by President Biden, who are working to release the contents of federal investigations into unresolved cold cases from the civil rights era. In making these records publicly available, the goal is to provide a measure of clarity to relatives of victims, and also provide a more comprehensive picture of a dark chapter in our nation’s history. Find out more.
“After all this time, we might not solve every one of these cold cases, but my hope is that our efforts will, at the very least, help us find some long overdue healing and understanding of the truth.”
- Sen. Doug Jones, July 10, 2018, on the floor of the U.S. Senate
Newly released cases
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The "Five Atlanta Fishermen" were all friends from Atlanta. They were Lee Roy Holloway, 49; Lonnie Merritt, 49; John Sterling, 46; Marvin Walker, 66; and Robert Walker, 59.
Isaiah Nixon was a 28-year-old farmer in Montgomery County, Georgia. He and his wife, Sallie, had six children. Dover Carter was a 42-year-old farmer in Montgomery County, Georgia. He and his wife, Bessie, had 13 children.
Jessie B. Hightower was a 38-year-old World War II veteran and was employed by Seaboard Air Line Railroad. He and his wife, Annie, lived in Bullock County, Alabama.
Edgar Thomas was a 63-year-old cafe and grocery owner in Union Springs, Alabama. He and his wife, Estelle, had 10 children.
“We have an obligation. We have a mission. We have a mandate. The blood of hundreds of innocent men and women is calling out to us.”
- Rep. John Lewis
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