Who we are & what we do
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board is a nonpartisan panel of private citizens, appointed by the President, 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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Wilmer Smith was a 39-year-old native of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. He lived in Detroit, Michigan and worked for the Dodge Factory.
Jesse Thornton, a farmer in his late 20s or early 30s, lived in Luverne, Alabama with his wife, Nellie, and nephew, Bennie.
A.C. Williams was a 20-year-old man who lived in Quincy, Florida with his mother, Hattie Williams. He was born in Waycross, Georgia and was the oldest son of Frank and Hattie Williams.
Bob White was a 28-year-old farmworker and scrap iron yard laborer from Livingston, Texas. He was married to Ruby Lee Keeland White, whom he met while living in Houston, Texas.
“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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