Mississippi News

Arrest warrant for woman who accused Emmett Till found nearly 67 years later in courthouse basement

Published

3 years ago

June 29, 2022

Arrest warrant for woman who accused Emmett Till found nearly 67 years later in courthouse basement

by Mina Corpuz, Mississippi Today
June 29, 2022

An unserved arrest warrant in the lynching case of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago has been found in the basement of a Mississippi courthouse.

The original warrant is for Carolyn Bryant Donham and is dated Aug. 29, 1955. It was found last week by a search group in a file folder in a box in the Leflore County courthouse, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

The group that found the warrant included members of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and two of Till’s relatives: Deborah Watts, Till’s cousin, co-founder and leader of foundation, and her daughter, Teri Watts.

In March, Watts, other family members and supporters visited the Mississippi State Capitol to deliver a petition to state officials and call for Donham to be charged for Till’s lynching.

“We made a promise to Mamie (Till) that we would persist, and that’s why we’re here today,” Deborah Watts said in March.

Donham is now in her 80s and most recently lived in North Carolina.

She is the former wife of Roy Bryant, one of the men who kidnapped and killed Till in the Mississippi Delta in 1955. Till was 14 years old and was visiting family from Chicago when he whistled at Donham inside the store where she was working.

Donham testified in court Till grabbed her and made unwanted advances toward her. In a 2017 book by Timothy Tyson, Donham said the allegations were false. She later disputed the claim and recanted her story, according to the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting.

The U.S. Department of Justice has investigated Till’s case multiple times but did not file additional charges.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Trump says he will issue an executive order Monday to get TikTok back up

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-01-19 09:20:00

SUMMARY: President-elect Donald Trump announced that he will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the deadline for TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to find an approved U.S. buyer. This decision follows the removal of TikTok from app stores due to a federal law requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations or face a ban, citing national security concerns. Trump’s order would delay the law’s restrictions, offering ByteDance more time to negotiate a sale. Despite challenges, including TikTok’s legal disputes, Trump emphasized the app’s potential value and the importance of keeping it operational in the U.S.

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Mississippi News

Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: January 17-19

Published

5 days ago

January 17, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2025-01-17 07:20:00

SUMMARY: This weekend (January 17-19), Mississippi offers a variety of events. Highlights include the JSU Tiger Parade of Champions in Jackson, Fleet Feet Coffee Run, and several Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations. The Bridgid Ferguson Trio and Storytelling Festival also take place in Jackson, along with exhibits like “Of Salt and Spirit.” In Vicksburg, enjoy the Winter Youth Rodeo and Peruvian Delights Wine Dinner, while Natchez hosts a Krewe of Phoenix Ball and a Farmers Market. The Pine Belt features Artrageous in Hattiesburg and karaoke in Laurel. Other events include jazz, comedy, and live performances across the region.

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Mississippi News

Biden to address the nation days before Trump's inauguration

Published

7 days ago

January 15, 2025

Staff Editor

www.wjtv.com – The Associated Press – 2025-01-15 10:43:00

SUMMARY: Joe Biden’s presidency aimed to “restore the soul” of America post-Trump, but despite bipartisan legislative successes and international alliances, he struggled to change the political landscape. Four years after defeating Trump, Biden faced electoral defeat as Trump made a political comeback. Polls show only a quarter view Biden favorably, even lower than Trump during his presidency. Although Biden touted achievements in infrastructure and economic recovery, rising costs and inflation eroded public support. As he prepares to leave office, questions persist about his legacy and the permanence of the political shift towards populism, leaving Biden’s ambitions unfulfilled.

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