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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Rogers Hamilton
Rogers Hamilton was an 18-year old farm laborer who supported his mother, Beatrice Hamilton, siblings, nephews, nieces, and cousins following his father's 1955 death. Hamilton had plans to marry right before his death.
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Roy Cyril Brooks
Roy Cyril Brooks was a 44-year-old father of three. He lived with his wife, Mary, and worked at the Swift Fertilizer Plant in Harvey, Louisiana, where he was a long-time and active member of his union.
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John Earl Reese
John Earl Reese was born in Rusk County, Texas on Oct. 9, 1939. He lived with his grandmother and worked to earn money for their household when he was not in school.
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Ladislado Uresti
Ladislado Uresti was a 47-year-old night watchman and maintenance worker who lived in San Antonio, Texas. He and his wife, Lorenza, had 15 children.
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Maceo Snipes
Maceo Snipes was a 37-year-old farmer in Taylor County, Georgia. He was a World War II veteran who received an Asiatic Pacific Service Medal.
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Frank Manning
Frank Manning was a farmworker who lived in Chadbourn, North Carolina. His death certificate refers to him as Frank Manners and some newspapers reported that his name was James Roberson and that he used Frank Manning as an alias. There are no verifiable records indicating Manning’s age.
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Wilmer Smith
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.
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Jesse Thornton
Jesse Thornton, a farmer in his late 20s or early 30s, lived in Luverne, Alabama with his wife, Nellie, and nephew, Bennie.
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A.C. Williams
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.
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Bob White
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.
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Willie Vinson
Willie Vinson, 31, was born in Jefferson, Texas. He lived in Texarkana, Texas for about five months and worked as a dish washer at a cafe.
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Clarence Thompson
Clarence Thompson was a 36-year-old Works Progress Administration laborer. He lived with his sister, Lillian Bailey, in New Orleans, Louisiana.