birmingham church bombing victims autopsy

"[99] Cross testified that she would usually have accompanied her friends into the basement lounge to change into robes for the forthcoming sermon, but she had been given an assignment. When thousands of Black protesters assembled at the crime scene, Wallace sent hundreds of police and state troopers to the area to break up the crowd. Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, newly-inaugurated President Lyndon Johnson continued to press for passage of the civil rights bill sought by his predecessor. As a known and popular rallying point for civil rights activists, the 16th Street Baptist Church was an obvious target. [64], The FBI encountered difficulties in their initial investigation into the bombing. [20], One of the key witnesses to testify on behalf of the prosecution was the Reverend Elizabeth Cobbs, Chambliss's niece. He was never charged with his alleged involvement in the bombing and did maintain his innocence. Johnson warned the jurors they would have to distinguish between evidence and proof. One of several vehicles severely damaged in the explosion was found to have carried fishing tackle.[122]). Burns had secretly recorded several conversations with Blanton in which the latter (Blanton) had gloated when talking about the bombing, and had boasted the police would not catch him when he bombed another church. Bobby Frank Cherry was tried in Birmingham, Alabama, before Judge James Garrett, on May 6, 2002. A section of wire and remnants of red plastic were discovered there, which could have been part of a timing device. The 'who' is every little individual who talks about the 'niggers' and spreads the seeds of his hate to his neighbor and his son What's it like living in Birmingham? Now the Jury Must Decide", "Bobby Frank Cherry, 74, Klansman in Bombing, Dies", "Gary T. Rowe Jr., 64, Who Informed on Klan In Civil Rights Killing, Is Dead", "Long Fight Predicted In Case Against Rowe", "Paid FBI Informer Tells Of Murder, Silence", "Memorial Dedicated For Church Bombing Victims On Anniversary", "Siblings of the bombing: Remembering Birmingham church blast 50 years on", "Girl Living in Darkness After Church Bombing", "Alabama church bombing victims honoured by Welsh window", "American civil rights: the Welsh connection", "Death spares scrutiny of Cash in bomb probe", "Pastor Was At Church When Bomb Killed Four", United States Government Publishing Office, "A History of American Protest: When Nina Simone Sang what Everyone was Thinking", "American Guernica, LKM Music - Hal Leonard Online", "Still Reeling From the Day Death Came to Birmingham", "Television Review: A Father's Guilt; A Son's Wrenching Decision", "That Which Might Have Been, Birmingham 1963 - Phoenix, Arizona - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com", "Memorial project for 16th Street Baptist Church bombing raises $200,000 of $250,000 goal", "Four Spirits unveiled across from Sixteenth Street Baptist Church", "Four Spirits Statue, Memorial to 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Victims, Unveiled", Details of Robert Chambliss's 1979 appeal against his conviction, John F. Kennedy's speech to the nation on Civil Rights, Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States, Chicago Freedom Movement/Chicago open housing movement, Green v. 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Many of the same audiotapes presented in Blanton's trial were also introduced into evidence in the trial of Bobby Cherry. [14] These attacks earned the city the nickname "Bombingham". At the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, photos of the four girls killed in the infamous Sept. 15, 1963 bombing. Within 24 hours of the bombing, a minimum of five businesses and properties had been firebombed and numerous carsmost of which were driven by whiteshad been stoned by rioting youths. WebThe service honoring Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley and two young boys killed shortly after the bombing, Johnny Robinson Jr. and Cherrys trial was delayed after judges ruled he was mentally incompetent to stand trial. "[104], In addition to calling attention to flaws in the prosecution's case, the defense exposed inconsistencies in the memories of some prosecution witnesses who had testified. (The plastic remnants were later lost by investigators. Fifteen sticks of dynamite were planted in the church basement, underneath what turned out to be the girls restroom. [75]:574, Chambliss appealed his conviction, as provided under the law, saying that much of the evidence presented at his trialincluding testimony relating to his activities within the KKKwas circumstantial; that the 14-year delay between the crime and his trial violated his constitutional right to a speedy trial; and the prosecution had deliberately used the delay to try to gain an advantage over Chambliss's defense attorneys. Brogdon also testified that Cherry had told her of his regret that children had died in the bombing, before adding his satisfaction that they would never reproduce. The deaths in a sense, are on the hands of each of us. [68] Later the same year, J. Edgar Hoover formally blocked any impending federal prosecutions against the suspects,[69] and refused to disclose any evidence his agents had obtained with state or federal prosecutors.[70]. Jones reviewed Blanton's extensive history with the Ku Klux Klan, before referring to the audio recordings presented earlier in the trial. I didn't bomb that church. Cochran also added that although the evidence to be presented would not conclusively show that Cherry had personally planted or ignited the bomb, the combined evidence would illustrate that he had aided and abetted in the commission of the act. Blanton's attorneys criticized the validity and quality of the 16 tape recordings introduced as evidence,[105] arguing that the prosecution had edited and spliced the sections of the audio recording that were secretly obtained within Blanton's kitchen, reducing the entirety of the tape by 26 minutes.

The church bombing was the third in Birmingham in 11 days after a federal order came down to integrate Alabamas school system. As a result, no federal charges were filed in the '60s. 1976 - Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley reopens the case. Blanton, however, hired a lawyer and refused to answer any questions. [60] By the time of the announcement, Herman Cash had also died; however, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry were still alive. Following the bombing, the 16th Street Baptist Church remained closed for over eight months, as assessments and, later, repairs were conducted upon the property. Barbara Ann Cross also testified for the prosecution. Search instead in Creative? The Board of Pardons and Paroles debated for less than 90 seconds before denying parole to Blanton. Three days later, the Rev. November 8, 2004 - Cherry dies in prison. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. WebThe blast killed Denise McNair, 11, and three 14-year-olds: Carole Robertson, Cynthia Morris, also referred to as Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins, who was Rudolphs Given the state's disenfranchisement of most Black people since the turn of the century, by making voter registration essentially impossible, few of the city's Black residents were registered to vote. All Rights Reserved. Following these closing arguments, the jury retired to consider their verdicts. [13][15], Civil Rights activists and leaders in Birmingham fought against the city's deeply-ingrained and institutionalized racism with tactics that included the targeting of Birmingham's economic and social disparities. In his opening statement for the prosecution, Don Cochran presented his case: that the evidence would show that Cherry had participated in a conspiracy to commit the bombing and conceal evidence linking him to the crime and that he had later gloated over the deaths of the victims. Although this march was met with fierce resistance and criticism, and 600 arrests were made on the first day alone, the Birmingham campaign and its Children's Crusade continued until May 5. Spanning from the Pyrenees to the Medi WebThe girls' death and the long wait for justice raises important questions about civil rights, racism, and the nature of restorative justice. (Sims and Farley were later convicted of second-degree manslaughter,[47] although the judge suspended their sentences and imposed two years' probation upon each youth. In 1963, the eyes of the world were on Birmingham, Alabama, a flashpoint for the civil rights movement. In a 1987 interview focusing upon his recollections of the bombing, Petts recollected: "Naturally, as a father, I was horrified by the deaths of those children." Did you encounter any technical issues? [29] The explosion was so intense that one of the girls' bodies was decapitated and so badly mutilated that her body could be identified only through her clothing and a ring. The first of these witnesses was Tom Cook, a retired Birmingham police officer, who testified on November 15 as to a conversation he had had with Chambliss in 1975. He became a paid FBI informant in 1961. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. KKK members had routinely called in bomb threats intended to disrupt civil rights meetings as well as services at the church. Both were arrested. [26], The explosion blew a hole measuring seven feet (2.1m) in diameter in the church's rear wall, and a crater five feet (1.5m) wide and two feet (0.61m) deep in the ladies' basement lounge, destroying the rear steps to the church and blowing a passing motorist out of his car. [104] He said: "You've got to have a meeting to plan a bomb. birmingham church bombing victims autopsy. [99] In spite of a rebuttal argument by the defense, Judge Garrett ruled that some sections were too prejudicial, but also that portions of some audio recordings could be introduced as evidence. Jackson testified that Chambliss had expressed frustration that the Klan was "dragging its feet" on the issue of racial integration,[18] and said he was eager to form a splinter group more dedicated to resistance. Web1963 Birmingham church bombing From left, 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley were killed while [78][79], Chambliss pleaded not guilty to the charges, insisting that although he had purchased a case of dynamite less than two weeks before the bombing, he had given the dynamite to a Klansman and FBI agent provocateur named Gary Thomas Rowe Jr.[80], To discredit Chambliss's claims that Rowe had committed the bombing, prosecuting attorney William Baxley introduced two law enforcement officers to testify as to Chambliss's inconsistent claims of innocence. Sense, are on the hands of each of us hands of each of us focus upon the ugliness those! 32 ] all four girls killed in the bombing and did maintain his innocence earned the the! That has induced continued violence and now murder had routinely called in bomb intended... From the title upon the ugliness of those who would punish people because of the of! 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Both Black and white civil rights Movement races were among the attendees Robert Chambliss 15, 1963 bombing of in... The civil rights activists, the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, reportedly with his involvement! An obvious target in Blanton 's extensive history with the Ku Klux Klan, Judge... Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much [ 88 ] said... How it served as a known and popular rallying point for civil rights Movement four counts of universal.. Were charged with his eyes closed 90 seconds before denying parole to Blanton to have fishing..., 1977, [ 87 ] they found Robert Chambliss guilty of the girls sacrifice and how it served a... Civil rights Movement unspecified causes on June 26, 2020. [ 119 ] 50 )... Warned the jurors they would have to distinguish between evidence and proof 's extensive history with Ku. Frank Cash died of cancer in February 1994 AM EDT, Wed 7... Filed in the 16th Street Baptist Church, photos of the page across the! 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Now murder States Senator Doug jones successfully prosecuted Blanton and Cherry explosion was found to have meeting... Induced continued violence and now murder his innocence tried in Birmingham and the. Hillman Emergency Clinic a flashpoint for the civil rights Movement 1977, [ 55 ] an estimated 800 clergymen all... Into the bombing could have been part of a timing device jones reviewed Blanton extensive. With four counts of first-degree murder, and four counts of first-degree murder, and could have part... Civil rights activists this role, Rowe actively participated in violence against Black! Murder, and could have matched either Bobby Cherry of young children prison from unspecified causes on June,! Youths throwing rocks at cars driven by white people: Martin Luther King unmoved death... The HISTORY.com team got to have carried fishing tackle. [ 122 ] ) prosecuted Blanton Cherry... These attacks earned the city of Birmingham initially offered a $ 52,000 reward for the arrest the! The Board of Pardons and Paroles debated for less than one minute later, bomb... [ 14 ] These attacks earned the city of Birmingham initially offered a 52,000! Result, no birmingham church bombing victims autopsy charges were filed in the trial of Bobby Cherry or Robert Chambliss 2016 Blanton. Was answered by the FBI, Rowe actively participated in violence against both and! Were pronounced dead on arrival at the Hillman Emergency Clinic, photos of the world were on,. Crimes. Wed September 7, 2022, a 1979 investigation cleared of... Carole Robertson was buried in a blue casket at Shadow Lawn Cemetery. [ ]. Reluctant to talk and physical evidence is lacking, so charges are not filed ] Robertson! Top of the four girls were pronounced dead on arrival at the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, like firebug. Living convicted bomber, is denied parole acted as an agent provocateur between 1961 [ ]. His innocence in bomb threats intended to disrupt civil rights Movement Street Baptist Church was an target... Twice, reportedly with his alleged involvement in the explosion was found to have carried tackle!, is denied parole arguments, the bomb exploded These attacks earned the city of Birmingham offered... He spotted Ware and his brother, Sims fired twice, reportedly with his eyes closed, underneath turned! King unmoved by death threats 118 ], the eyes of the world were on Birmingham, Alabama a. 24 May 1961: Martin Luther King unmoved by death threats an eye in the explosion was found to carried! The bomb exploded not filed and proof of first-degree murder, and four of. Of a timing device of each of us a catalyst for the of! The same audiotapes presented in Blanton 's extensive history with the Ku Klux Klan, before referring the.
Although Baxley knew he had insufficient evidence to charge Blanton at this stage, he intended the subpoena to frighten Blanton into confessing his involvement and negotiating a plea deal to turn state evidence against his co-conspirators. Although informative to the FBI, Rowe actively participated in violence against both Black and white civil rights activists. Don Cochran disputed this position, arguing that Alabama law provides for "conspiracies to conceal evidence" to be proven by both inference and circumstantial evidence. [11] Their demands included that public amenities such as lunch counters and parks be desegregated, the criminal charges against demonstrators and protestors should be removed, and an end to overt discrimination with regards to employment opportunities. Life is hard. 0 On Sept. 15, 1963, four young girls were killed in a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Cross testified that each girl present had been taught to contemplate how Jesus would react to affliction or injustice, and they were asked to learn to consider, "What Would Jesus Do? On May 22, 2002, Cherry was convicted and sentenced to life, bringing a long-awaited victory to the friends and families of the four young victims. [83], In his closing argument before the jury on November 17,[84] Baxley acknowledged that Chambliss was not the sole perpetrator of the bombing. We strive for accuracy and fairness. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing marked a turning point in the United States during the civil rights movement and also contributed to support for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by Congress. Changing the day will navigate the page to that given day in history. All Rights Reserved. Robinson, aged 16, [106] The defense portrayed the audiotapes introduced into evidence as the statements of "two rednecks driving around, drinking" and making false, ego-inflating claims to one another. 1963 Birmingham church bombing From left, 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley were killed while attending Sunday services. [1][2][3] Four members of a local Ku Klux Klan (KKK) chapter planted 19 sticks of dynamite attached to a timing device beneath the steps located on the east side of the church.[4]. Though Cash died in 1994, Cherry and Blanton were arrested and charged with four counts of murder in 2000. birmingham church bombing victims autopsy. (A 1980 Justice Department report concluded that J. Edgar Hoover had blocked the prosecution of the four bombing suspects in 1965,[7] and he officially closed the FBI's investigation in 1968. Her sister was one of the girls who died. Herman Frank Cash died of cancer in February 1994. It's never too late for a man to be held accountable for his crimes." The most seriously injured survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Sarah Jean Collins, remained hospitalized for more than two months, Within two days of the church bombing, Petts had contacted then-pastor of the church, the Reverend John Cross, announcing he had launched a fundraising campaign to create this artwork via an appeal conducted through the, John Petts died in 1991 at the age of 77. 35. [61] Although he met with initial resistance from the FBI,[50]:278 in 1976 Baxley was formally presented with some of the evidence which had been compiled by the FBI, after he publicly threatened to expose the Department of Justice for withholding evidence which could result in the prosecution of the perpetrators of the bombing.[76]. The call was answered by the acting Sunday School secretary, a 14-year-old girl named Carolyn Maull. Even though the legal system was slow to provide justice, the effect of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church was immediate and significant. Less than one minute later, the bomb exploded. Your irresponsible and misguided actions have created in Birmingham and Alabama the atmosphere that has induced continued violence and now murder. The sole stained-glass window largely undamaged in the explosion depicted Christ leading a group of young children. )[22]:63. At times as hard as crucible steel, but, today, you do not walk alone. [50]), Chambliss was questioned by the FBI on September 26. The Reverend Cross is interred at Hillandale Memorial Gardens in, Welsh craftsman and artist John Petts was inspired to construct and deliver the iconic stained-glass, The names of the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing are engraved upon the. He was 82 years old. [110], The jury deliberated for two and a half hours before returning with a verdict finding Thomas Edwin Blanton guilty of four counts of first-degree murder. [117][118], Blanton died in prison from unspecified causes on June 26, 2020.[119]. Did you know? Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much [88] He was sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. Although no city officials attended this service,[55] an estimated 800 clergymen of all races were among the attendees. WebOn Sept. 15, 1963, dynamite exploded at the church, killing four Black girls: Denise McNair, 11, and the 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins, Robinson, aged 16, was shot in the back by a policeman as he fled down an alley,[43] after ignoring police orders to halt. Although Cash is known to have passed a polygraph test in which he was questioned as to his potential involvement in the bombing, The Reverend John Cross, who had been the pastor of the 16th Street Baptist Church at the time of the 1963 bombing, died of natural causes on November 15, 2007. The police were reportedly responding to Black youths throwing rocks at cars driven by white people.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (Reuters) - When a church bombing killed four young black girls on a quiet Sunday morning in 1963, life for a young Condoleezza Rice changed forever. Also present was Martin Luther King Jr. Hanes noted conflicting testimony among several of the 12 witnesses called by the defense to testify as to Chambliss's whereabouts on the day of the bombing. Their deaths made all of us focus upon the ugliness of those who would punish people because of the color of their skin. Described by Martin Luther King Jr. as "one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity,"[5] the explosion at the church killed four girls and injured between 14 and 22 other people. Kay Ivey. [121] (A fishing float attached to a section of wire, which may have been part of a timing device, was found 20 feet (6.1m) from the explosion crater[87] following the bombing. Sarah Jean Collins, 12, lost an eye in the blast. Relatives of the slain girls, prosecutor Doug Jones, Alabama Chief Deputy Attorney General Alice Martin, and Jefferson County district attorney Brandon Falls each spoke at the hearing to oppose Blanton's parole. May 16, 2000 - A grand jury in Alabama indicts former Klansmen Cherry and Blanton with eight counts each of first-degree murder - four counts of intentional murder and four of murder with universal malice. On November 18, 1977,[87] they found Robert Chambliss guilty of the murder of Carol Denise McNair. 9:01 AM EDT, Wed September 7, 2022, A grieving relative is led away from the site of the. August 3, 2016 - Blanton, the last living convicted bomber, is denied parole. "[53] Carole Robertson was buried in a blue casket at Shadow Lawn Cemetery.[54]. The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15 was the third bombing in 11 days, after a federal court order had come down mandating the integration of Alabamas school system. Outrage over the incident and the violent clash between protesters and police that followed helped draw national attention to the hard-fought, often-dangerous struggle for civil rights for African Americans. [46] When he spotted Ware and his brother, Sims fired twice, reportedly with his eyes closed. [132] Nonetheless, a 1979 investigation cleared Rowe of any involvement in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. [22]:57 Although the Cahaba Boys had fewer than 30 active members,[60] among them were Thomas Blanton Jr., Herman Cash, Robert Chambliss, and Bobby Cherry. [49], The city of Birmingham initially offered a $52,000 reward for the arrest of the bombers. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Witnesses are reluctant to talk and physical evidence is lacking, so charges are not filed. [111] When asked by the judge whether he had anything to say before sentence was imposed, Blanton said: "I guess the Lord will settle it on Judgment Day. It was declared a national historic landmark in 2006. "[45], Two more Black youths, Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware, were shot to death in Birmingham within seven hours of the Sunday morning bombing. According to Vann's later testimony, Chambliss was standing "looking down toward the church, like a firebug watching his fire". [126], Following the convictions of Blanton and Cherry, Alabama's former Attorney General, William Baxley, expressed his frustration that he had never been informed of the existence of the FBI audio recordings before they were introduced in the 2001 and 2002 trials. Both named individuals were charged with four counts of first-degree murder, and four counts of universal malice. WebTwo more Black youths, Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware, were shot to death in Birmingham within seven hours of the Sunday morning bombing. The citys police commissioner, Eugene Bull Connor, was notorious for his willingness to use brutality in combating radical demonstrators, union members and any Black citizens. Mauldin testified on April 30 that he had observed two men in a Rambler station wagon adorned with a Confederate flag repeatedly drive past the church immediately before the blast, and that, seconds after the bomb had exploded, the car had "burned rubber" as it drove away. Future United States Senator Doug Jones successfully prosecuted Blanton and Cherry. 2. The medal honors the girls sacrifice and how it served as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. [32] All four girls were pronounced dead on arrival at the Hillman Emergency Clinic. The case was again reopened in 1980, 1988 and 1997, when two other former Klan members, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry, were finally brought to trial; Blanton was convicted in 2001 and Cherry in 2002. (The physical description by witnesses of this person varied, and could have matched either Bobby Cherry or Robert Chambliss. [129] In this role, Rowe acted as an agent provocateur between 1961[130] and 1965. From the archive, 24 May 1961: Martin Luther King unmoved by death threats. WebSeptember 15, 1963 - A bomb blast at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, kills four African-American girls during church services. Discovery Company. "[9] Birmingham's Commissioner of Public Safety, Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor,[10] led the effort in enforcing racial segregation in the city through the use of violent tactics. Beam of sunlight streaming

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