Casefile True Crime - Case 159: James Craig Anderson

Episode Date: October 10, 2020

When 47-year-old Mississippi resident James Craig Anderson realised he’d locked his keys in his car in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 26 2011, he was thankful when a vehicle pulled up offering to help. But it soon became clear that the occupants were anything but good samaritans.  --- Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host Researched by Holly Boyd Written by Elsha McGill Creative Director: Milly Raso For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-159-james-craig-anderson

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To you, the difference. Or on our website. Good evening, as his husband of 18 years, James, was rusted on to work a night shift over the weekend. Hours earlier, James had phoned Craig to remind him to start packing for their upcoming trip to Chicago in celebration of Craig's 48th birthday in five days time. Their call ended with the men telling one another, I love you. Craig's Orange Chevy Avalanche was parked in a lot off the Metro Inn, a budget hotel in his home city of Jackson, Mississippi. Located near the intersection of Highway 80 in the city's west, the lot was relatively small with around two dozen angled parking spots split into two near-even rows. A Wendy's fast food restaurant was located on its northern border, with winding on and off ramps for the Interstate 20 highway to the south.

The lot was partially framed with small tree-lined nature strips and could be accessed to the east via Frontage Road and to the west from the busy thoroughfare of Ellis Avenue. Shortly after 4.45am, as Craig assessed his options, a white Jeep Cherokee SUV carrying four occupants entered the parking lot. Two young Caucasian men got out of the vehicle and approached Craig, who explained his dilemma. He asked the pair if they had a coat hanger he could use to try and jimmy the lock in his car door. The men moved back and forth between their Jeep and Craig's car, engaging Craig in conversation while seemingly looking for an item that could be of assistance. 15 minutes later, a dark green Ford F-250 pickup truck carrying three occupants drove into the car park before leaving via the Ellis Avenue exit. The two men who were helping Craig got back into their Jeep and followed the Ford. Moments later, both vehicles returned and stopped in close vicinity to where Craig was waiting by his car.

The two men who had assisted Craig earlier emerged from the Jeep and were joined by the driver of the Ford, a young, white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed male. He called Craig a racist slur and yelled, Get away from my truck. Suddenly, one of the men from the Jeep punched Craig in the face, knocking him to the ground. The driver of the Ford then straddled Craig and proceeded to hit him repeatedly around the head while cussing and shouting racial abuse. The remaining passengers of the group's two vehicles watched on as the assailant spent the next three and a half minutes beating Craig. Afterwards, he stole Craig's mobile phone, wallet, and wedding ring before jumping back into the driver's seat of the Ford. As the Jeep drove away, one of its passengers yelled out, White Power. In response, the driver of the Ford raised his fist in the air and yelled back, White Power.

As the Ford pulled out of the parking lot, its headlights illuminated Craig, stumbling along the edge of Ellis Avenue, just to the right of the exit. The driver steered towards him, mounted the curb, and ran him over. The Ford's occupants yelled more racial abuse out of the window as the vehicle sped away. The state of Mississippi is located in America's Deep South, bordered by Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas. During the 1800s, black slaves were used to tend to the farming land that was owned by Mississippi's white citizens, and by 1860, these slaves accounted for 55% of the state's population. The state was so heavily invested in slavery that race became a dominant theme of Mississippi's politics. On January 9, 1861, Mississippi declared secession from the U.S. Union and became one of America's original Confederate states. In the declaration, slavery was referred to as, quote, the greatest material interest of the world.

In April that same year, the ongoing controversy between the southern and northern states over the enslavement of black people gave rise to the American Civil War. Over 80,000 Mississippians fought in the war, many of whom were motivated by fear of losing white supremacy. During this time, the majority of Mississippi's black population were enslaved and living on plantations. Many had been forced there by ship or over land via the domestic slave trade. In 1865, when the Confederacy was defeated and the Civil War ended, slavery was abolished by the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, with Mississippi being one of the few states that voted against the amendment. Five years later, Mississippi rejoined the U.S. Union, but the state continued to face intense interracial conflict and was center stage during the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century. This was most evident in the state's capital city, Jackson. Known as the city with soul, Jackson is renowned for its music, architecture, museums, historic cultural districts, performing arts, and a vibrant nightlife. However, like the rest of Mississippi, the city has a dark and complex history when it comes to racial inequality.

Between 1877 and 1950, 22 people were lynched in Jackson's Hines County, more than anywhere else in the state. In 1954, the federal governments forced end to segregation resulted in Jackson becoming more racially diverse. This prompted many white people to move away from the city, rendering some neighborhoods of Jackson almost exclusively black. One of the most infamous hate crimes that occurred in Mississippi was the 1955 murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, a black teenager who allegedly woof-whistled at a white woman. In retaliation for this perceived slight, two white men kidnapped and killed Emmett before dumping his body into the Tallahatchie River. An all-white jury acquitted the men, even though they later admitted to the murder. Another race-fuelled incident occurred in 1964, when two 19-year-old black men, Charles Moore and Henry D., were murdered by members of the white supremacist hate group, the Ku Klux Klan, in the Mississippi town of Roxy.

Charles and Henry were tied to a tree, beaten, and then dumped in the Mississippi River to drown. That same year, a gang of Ku Klux Klansmen that included several police officers abducted and murdered one black man, James Cheney, and two white Jewish men, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, in Neshoba County, because they were trying to help black people register to vote. During the 1960s, several serious crimes were committed against civil rights activists by white supremacists, and racist aggression was constant. In 1963, civil rights activist Medgar Evers was shot outside his home by a member of the Ku Klux Klan, which caused a national outrage and was pivotal to the passing of the Civil Rights Act the following year. From 1980 to 1990, Jackson's white population dropped to 43%, and by 2000, white people accounted for just over a quarter of the city's population. Although that number showed a slight increase by 2011, racially motivated crimes committed by white people against the city's black citizens remained prevalent.

Craig Anderson had lived in Jackson, Mississippi for most of his adult life. He was originally from Holmes County and was primarily raised by his mother after his father died. Craig was one of four children with an older sister and two younger brothers. He grew up to become a kind and courteous person who was particularly caring towards children and the elderly. His defining feature was what his sister Barbara called his grand piano smile. As a young man, Craig moved 70 miles south to Jackson, where in 1993, at the age of 30, he was introduced to James, another African-American man. James later told journalist Albert Samaha from BuzzFeed News that by the end of their first day, the pair had fallen for one another. The cautious and organized the James kept Craig in check, while Craig's warm and easygoing personality allowed James to loosen up a little.

On a number of occasions, James surprised Craig with trips to cities like Chicago, New Orleans, and Miami. There, the couple were more comfortable being affectionate in public, unlike in Jackson, where members of the LGBTQI community often faced discrimination. Five years into their relationship, James and Craig bought a house in Jackson. James wasn't initially keen on the property as he thought it was ugly, but Craig saw its potential and spent the next few years turning it into a home. He put in new flooring, painted the walls, renovated the kitchen, and planted a garden full of flowers. Craig also picked out all of the furniture and decorated the house with plush green carpet and paintings of tigers. The couple were active churchgoers at the first Hyde Park Missionary Baptist Church, where Craig sang as tenor in the choir. By 2004, Craig and James had been together for 11 years and knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

At the time, Mississippi didn't recognize same-sex marriage, so they held a private ceremony in New Orleans, where they exchanged vows and rings. Months later, Craig was offered a job as a production technician at a Nissan vehicle manufacturing plant in Canton, roughly 20 miles north of Jackson. Craig was thrilled as the position was higher paid than his previous job, and James later told BuzzFeed News that he'd reacted by, quote, jumping around, smiling like it was the best day of his life. The couple celebrated with a trip to Memphis, Tennessee. In 2007, a situation arose within James' extended family that resulted in a relative needing to re-home their newborn baby boy. James was eager to adopt, but Craig wasn't sure they were ready for the responsibility. They decided to proceed with the adoption, and Craig immediately embraced the role of a devoted father. He loved spoiling their adopted son with chocolates and toys.

James later stated, Those were the years when we were like, this is it, we're going to like our life. We both got good jobs, we were living real comfortable, we had everything we wanted. We go to church, we go to work, we pay our taxes and come home to our family. That's all you can ask for. In the early hours of Sunday, June 26, 2011, 911 received a call from a woman at Jackson's Metro Inn just off Highway 80. She had just witnessed a dark green Ford pickup truck run over a black man in the motel's parking lot. The perpetrators, who were identified as being young and white, were also heard hurling racial abuse at the victim.

When police arrived at the Metro Inn, they found several irate people gathered around a severely injured and unresponsive Craig Anderson on the curb of Ellis Avenue just outside the car park. Craig was rushed to hospital, but his injuries were severe and the situation dire. His attackers were divided between two vehicles, the Ford used in the hit and run, and a white Jeep SUV. Both cars were witnessed driving past the lot immediately after the attack, while their passengers pointed and laughed. Police sped onto the Interstate 20 where the Ford was last sighted travelling east and caught up to the vehicle. As they pulled up beside it, one officer locked eyes with the driver, a young white man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The officer noted, he had this blank stare about him. It was chilling, like a cold-hearted look. I'll never forget that look.

The driver was ordered to pull over and provide his driver's license, which identified him as 19-year-old Daryl Deadman. There were two female passengers in his truck, 17-year-old Shelby Richards and 18-year-old Sarah Graves. All three teens acted like they had no idea why the police had pulled them over, with the Deadman's demeanour akin to someone on their way home after an uneventful day. Shelby Richards seemed to think the whole law deal was a joke, while Sarah Graves appeared uncomfortable, as though she was part of something she didn't want to be involved with. The police inspected the Ford's exterior and found blood and brain matter on the right side of the front bumper. Later that morning, James returned to the home he shared with Craig Anderson after finishing his graveyard shift at the Airplane Parts factory where he worked. He quickly discovered that his husband wasn't home, and the next thing he knew, police officers were knocking at the door. They revealed that Craig had been in an accident overnight, and when James asked to go see him, the officers informed him that it wouldn't be possible, as Craig had been killed.

Daryl Deadman, Shelby Richards and Sarah Graves were taken into custody and interviewed separately. Deadman told police that Craig Anderson had jumped in front of his truck, while Richards, who was Deadman's girlfriend, laughed when she was brought into the interview room. In contrast, Sarah Graves appeared in shock and was crying. Once she had settled, she detailed the lead-up to the incident. On the night of Saturday, June 25, Graves and several dozen other youths were celebrating a birthday in a field near the village of Puckett, around 30 miles southeast of Jackson. They engaged in underage drinking around a bonfire until the party reached its conclusion at 4.15am. Ten party-goers then made a plan to meet up at a gas station in Brandon, a predominantly white neighborhood on the outskirts of Jackson, where the majority of the youths lived. At the gas station, the group discussed going to Jackson, which was a short drive west.

Three party-goers called at a night and went home, while the remaining seven committed to the trip. 23-year-old William Montgomery drove 18-year-olds John Rice and John Blalak and 20-year-old Dylan Butler in his white Jeep Cherokee SUV. Daryl Deadman took Sarah Graves and Shelby Richards in his green Ford F-250 pickup truck. During the drive into Jackson, Deadman and the girls received a call from the Jeep occupants, informing them that they were parked in the lot next to the Metro Inn on Ellis Avenue. Sarah Graves claimed that when they arrived, Rice and Blalak were talking to a black man in the motel's car park. Deadman then confronted the man and the pair got into a physical altercation. After the fight, Deadman returned to the Ford and referred to the man using racist terminology. Graves told detectives,

We started pulling out and the guy was walking towards us and Deadman just stepped on it. The guy slipped under the car and then I freaked out and I went into like a shock. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to do. I was scared. Afterwards, Deadman called Montgomery to brag about what he had done. The two groups then reconvened at a nearby McDonald's restaurant where Deadman laughed as he surveyed the front bumper of his car. After six hours at the police station, Sarah Graves was released without charge, as was Shelby Richards. Graves was picked up by her mother, Mary, who later described her daughter as seeming scared to death. She had Sarah admitted into hospital believing that she was suicidal.

In the meantime, a remorseless Daryl Deadman was formally charged with Craig Anderson's murder. He posted the required 15% of his $50,000 bond securing his release pending trial. Police obtained CCTV footage from a security camera that overlooked the Ellis Avenue entrance to the car park. Both offenders' vehicles were filmed entering the lot, though only the Ford remained in view. Although the physical assault on Craig Anderson occurred off camera, multiple figures could be seen moving in and out of frame between the fight and the two cars. Before leaving, one figure believed to be Daryl Deadman was captured punching a fist in the air and was overheard by a security guard yelling white power. Even though a tree partly obscured the area where Craig was run over, Deadman's Ford could be seen steering up onto the curb and behind the tree before rising up over something and back down again. One officer said, It sent chills just watching the CCTV. I couldn't believe it. They ran Craig Anderson down like a dog.

Detectives soon learned that the assault was instigated by teenager John Rice. After arriving at the car park, Rice and fellow Jeep passenger John Blaylack had approached Craig as he tried to access his locked car. They pretended to help, only to turn on Craig once Daryl Deadman arrived. Rice, Blaylack and Deadman then confronted Craig together. Deadman referred to Craig using a racial slur and yelled, Get away from my truck. Rice threw the first punch before Deadman continued the attack. As a result, John Rice was also charged with Craig's murder. This charge was ultimately reduced to simple assault after Rice's attorney successfully argued that his client had left in the Jeep before the fatal hit-and-run took place.

Rice paid his $5,000 bond and was released. The apparent race-based motive for Craig's murder developed further as the investigation continued. Sarah Graves had told detectives that Daryl Deadman was a racist as she had heard him once say that he can't stand black people. Furthermore, witnesses had overheard Deadman and others yelling racial abuse at Craig, refer to him in a derogatory manner, and chant the racist slogan White Power immediately after the attack. However, the youths involved remained tight-lipped when questioned about their interactions with Craig and their reasons for being in Jackson that night. John Rice's attorney claimed that the group had gone to Jackson to buy alcohol and not to harass or assault anyone. Despite these assertions, investigators sought to present the case as a hate crime, but there wasn't enough evidence for the district attorney to proceed down that path. News of Craig Anderson's murder outraged Jackson's black community, prompting them to reach out to civil rights attorney J.D. Owens II.

Owens worked for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a not-for-profit organization known for taking legal action against white supremacists and other extremist groups. In an effort to establish that the crime was racially motivated, Owens hired a private investigator to conduct an independent inquiry into Craig's death. A middle-aged white male was tactically chosen for the task, as he would be able to circulate easily within the communities where the suspects lived. The PI discovered that the seven youths present for Craig's murder, along with several others, had visited Jackson on multiple occasions to conduct what they had called hunting. The process involved searching the city for vulnerable black people to harass and attack. The investigator also discovered that Daryl Deadman had relatives who belonged to white supremacist groups. J.D. Owens shared the findings with the FBI, and five days after Craig's murder, they opened an investigation of their own. They found out that a few weeks prior to Craig's death, Daryl Deadman had been robbed by a black man.

This supported the belief that the hit-and-run had been an intentional act by Deadman, likely motivated by revenge. Craig Anderson's funeral was held six days after his death at his former parish, the first-hired Park Baptist Church. As requested by the Anderson family, the service focused on celebrating Craig's life rather than the brutal nature of his death, and there was no mention of hate or anger. Craig's sister, Barbara, spoke of her brother's love for cooking, his sense of fashion, and his humour. She called his death untimely, and chose not to speak out against those responsible. Pastor Brian Richardson and his 17-year-old son, Jordan, were two of the few white people in attendance. Jordan attended Brandon High School with Daryl Deadman and had endured two years of violent bullying at his hands, partly because he had black friends. Earlier that year, Deadman had been arrested and convicted of misdemeanor harassment against Jordan and was on probation at the time of Craig's murder.

On July 6, 2011, Daryl Deadman was called back to court for a bond revocation hearing. The prosecution were now confidently calling the murder of Craig Anderson a hate crime. After presenting the evidence that supported their position, the prosecution put forward that Deadman had left the party in the early hours of June 26 with the intention of going in search of a black person to attack. Deadman's attorney rejected these allegations, but the judge was satisfied with the evidence presented and a Deadman's bond was increased from $50,000 to $800,000. Unable to secure the payment, Deadman was placed in police custody to await trial. By this stage, the CCTV footage from the Metro Inn parking lot had been leaked to the press and broadcast on televised news reports throughout the country. As a result, Deadman was isolated in jail for his own safety. Meanwhile, the assistant police chief told CNN reporters that Craig's death was an isolated incident and denied that the attack was part of a bigger story.

CNN also spoke with the Jordan Richardson, the teenager Deadman had been previously convicted of harassing. Jordan said that Deadman always had a look of no conscience and carried around this backpack of hatred. Jordan's father, Pastor Brian Richardson, told CNN he had warned his son about Deadman's volatility and had been worried that Deadman might go as far as to kill Jordan. Pastor Richardson had told the police it was painfully clear that Deadman was going to injure someone severely or possibly kill someone. Other Brandon High School students told CNN that Deadman and his friends bullied white classmates who had black friends and used the racist language in real life and online. He had protested at school when Barack Obama was elected America's first African American president and referred to him using racist insults on social media. According to the students, school administrators mostly looked the other way as the racial hatred and bullying intensified. When CNN contacted Brandon High administrators, a spokesperson told them that the school took bullying very seriously and had no record of any incidents involving Deadman.

A former friend revealed that Deadman and his group were referred to as the Brandon Boys and were known for going out at night to target black individuals. Ken Johnson, the manager of a service station in Brandon where Deadman and his friends often hung out, told CNN. That seemed like every word that came out of their mouth was the N word. Ken once told the group to mind their behavior after he overheard them say that black people were taking over their town. Ken told CNN. Deadman made it well known that he didn't like a gay or black people. He talked about Jackson being a predominantly black city and said his parents grew up and moved away because of all these black people. Many Brandon locals were outraged that their town was being accused of racism and told reporters that they didn't view Craig Anderson's death as a hate crime.

While they agreed that Deadman had violated the law, they didn't believe he had targeted Craig because of his race. A white senior from Brandon High told the Jackson Free Press that the residents of Brandon were very down to worth and that she was worried Craig's death would reflect poorly on them. Quote, Brandon is one of the top places to live in the country. There is nothing bad about Brandon. It's a shame the crime happened. Deadman's younger sister told The New York Times, we're just country and whoever comes here, we welcome everybody. This whole thing is getting blown out of proportion. Deadman's uncle described his nephew as a good boy from a happy-go-lucky family who got involved with the wrong crowd. A relative of John Rice, Deadman's co-accused, took to Facebook to say that Rice wasn't a murderer but had fallen victim to trial by media and was suffering from, quote, reverse racism. Another Facebook user echoed this sentiment, writing, if this was the other way around and a black guy ran over a white boy, it would not be a hate crime. Baseless rumors spread around Brandon that Craig's death was drug-related, prompting Michael Teasley, the white president of Jackson State University's chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to speak out.

Michael, who was a reformed racist himself, stated, it's much easier for Rankin County to blame the black man than take responsibility for this crime. Right now, the problem is in their churches, homes, and schools. This doesn't have anything to do with a drug deal gone bad. They are looking for an excuse to make themselves feel better. Gerald Rose, founder of the New Order National Human Rights Organization, said that the situation could be used to provoke level-headed discussions about race relations, quote, When I saw the video, I shed tears. That could have been me, or it could have been my sons. We want to call for a healing process, and at the same time, we are aware racism is still alive. I can't believe stuff like this is going on in the year 2011. On August 14, 2011, more than 500 people, including clergymen, elected officials, and supporters of all races, gathered at the New Horizon Church in Jackson to march against racial injustice. T-shirts were distributed amongst the protesters, printed with the slogan, Not in My City. They marched through Jackson singing, We Shall Overcome, and This Little Light of Mine, before gathering in the Metro Wing Car Park for a candlelight vigil. Rabbi Valerie Cohen told the attendees, We are here to unify and to teach ourselves and our children, and everyone out there, that love is a better way to live. We are here to get beyond hatred.

Craig's husband, to James, was in too much emotional pain to attend the vigil. He told Buzzfeed News that following the murder, he had purchased a gun in fear that Craig's attackers would also come for him. He blamed himself for not being with Craig on the night he was killed, saying, I should have been there. I always protected him. That was my job. James lost his faith and stopped going to church and to work, instead spending his days crying in bed with the lights off and the curtains drawn. As a result, the couple's four-year-old adopted son went to live with the James's mother. James avoided the news as he didn't want to see the CCTV footage of Craig's death. One afternoon, James was driving his adopted son to his mother's house when he said, You can't go that way. That's where dead men killed Craig. Stunned, James looked around and realized that they were passing the Metro Wing car park. He asked his son how he knew what happened there, to which the child responded, I saw it on TV. Almost two months after Craig Anderson's death, Daryl Deadman's murder charge was upgraded to capital murder.

Under Mississippi law, a capital murder charge arises where the circumstances of an unlawful killing includes one of the prescribed list of aggravating factors. The relevant aggravating factor in the Craig Anderson case was that Craig had been killed during the commission of a robbery, as Deadman had stolen his phone, wallet, and wedding ring. If convicted of capital murder, there was the possibility that Deadman would face the death penalty. Put a spring in your step with Sirius XM. Shake off the winter blues with over 425 channels of ad-free music, plus play-by-play sports, comedy, exclusive talk, world-class news, and popular podcasts. Subscribe to the streaming platinum plan to get your first three months for free. Visit SiriusXM.ca for details. SiriusXM, everything you want to hear lives here.

After interviewing over 250 people and using grand-dury subpoenas and social media to obtain information, the FBI discovered a culture of racism and a pattern of hate crimes committed by Daryl Deadman and his friends in the weeks leading up to Craig Anderson's death. Since April 2011, the youths had made multiple trips into Jackson, or what they refer to as Jafrica, a racially derogatory portmanteau combining Jackson and Africa. While there, they harassed the black individuals whom they perceived to be homeless or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as they believed these targets would be less likely to resist or report their attacks to police. Investigators uncovered four separate incidents involving some of the youths present during Craig Anderson's attack. On one occasion, Daryl Deadman, John Rice, John Blalak, William Montgomery, John Rice's brother, 20-year-old Robert Rice, and 20-year-old Jonathan Gascamp drove into Jackson armed with a handgun. The group found an intoxicated black man alone near a golf course and beat him until he begged for his life. Gascamp also threatened to shoot the man. On another occasion, Deadman, Blalak, Montgomery, and the Rice brothers were driving through Jackson when they spotted a black male pedestrian near a gas station. Robert Rice, who was driving Montgomery's Jeep, accelerated in the direction of the man and nearly ran him down. Witnesses said that if the man hadn't moved, he would have been hit.

Another time, Blalak, Montgomery, the Rice brothers, and Shelby Richards lured a black man into believing they wanted to buy drugs, but instead, Blalak punched him in the face. The fourth incident involved Blalak and Montgomery, along with Dylan Butler, who was also present on the night of Craig's murder, 21-year-old Joseph Dominic, and an unnamed fifth person. Together, they hurled beer bottles at black pedestrians, causing one man to fall to the ground. They also stopped at a sporting goods stall and purchased a slingshot, then took turns shooting metal ball bearings at any black people they encountered, including those who were visibly impaired and a teenage boy riding his bicycle. The FBI also re-interviewed Sarah Graves, the teenage girl who had been riding in Daryl Deadman's Ford at the time of Craig Anderson's murder. Graves had previously provided the police with a summary of events leading up to the killing, but admitted to the FBI that she had been lying about her role on the night and had withheld information. She now admitted to being one of the main driving forces behind recruiting party goers to take the hunting trip into Jackson that night. She, along with Daryl Deadman, Shelby Richards, and John Blalak, had encouraged others to join them for a trip into Africa to, quote, fuck with some black people.

Blalak also gathered up empty glass bottles from the party to use as projectiles. The FBI concluded that although the seven individuals who went into Jackson in the early hours of Sunday June 26 might not have had a specific plan to kill, they definitely intended to harm or harass. Montgomery had driven the Jeep into the city, while Blalak, Butler, and John Rice threw bottles at black pedestrians. When they spotted Craig Anderson stranded by his locked car, they perceived him as being drunk. After phoning Deadman's group to tell them to come to the parking lot, Blalak and Rice approached Craig under the guise of offering assistance. They conversed with Craig in order to stall the situation until Deadman, Graves, and Richards arrived in the Ford. Richards encouraged her boyfriend, Deadman, to assault Craig. Rice threw the initial punch before Deadman continued the assault, which left Craig severely battered but alive.

Deadman then got back in his car and drove over Craig, while he and his girlfriend shouted racial abuse out the window. It remained unclear which of the youths in the Jeep first yelled out white power, but it was Deadman who repeated the chant. The FBI also discovered that the racial violence carried out by the young offenders was well known in Brandon. In fact, dozens of white teens from the area knew about the group's actions, but did nothing to stop them. On September 6, 2011, Craig Anderson's family filed a civil wrongful death suit against a Daryl Deadman, John Rice, Sarah Graves, Shelby Richards, William Montgomery, Dylan Butler, and a John Blalak. The suit alleged that while all seven of the youths weren't directly responsible for assaulting and killing Craig, they were all negligent because they didn't try to stop the attack, provide any assistance to Craig, or call the police. Craig's mother and siblings, who were listed as plaintiffs, stated they would forever be deprived of Craig's comfort, services, financial support, and companionship. Given that Mississippi didn't acknowledge same-sex marriage at the time, James was unable to join the family's civil claim, as he wasn't considered to have any legal standing in the matter.

While awaiting trial, Daryl Deadman penned a letter to his younger sister. In it, he claimed that he had committed himself to Jesus and warned her to stay away from trouble. He blamed his actions on alcohol and his friendship group, writing, My so-called friends got me in here. As Deadman's capital murderer Raymond approached, Craig's sister, Barbara, wrote a letter to the district attorney on behalf of her family, requesting that the death penalty be taken off the table. She explained that the Andersons were opposed to capital punishment, in part because of their Christian beliefs, and because of its historic association against people of color. The letter stated, Those responsible for Craig's death not only ended the life of a talented and wonderful man, they also have caused our family unspeakable pain and grief.

But our loss will not be lessened by the state taking the life of another. As Coretta Scott King stated in explaining her opposition to the death penalty, an evil deed is not redeemed by an evil deed of retaliation. Executing Craig's killers will not help balance the scales. On September 21, 2011, Deadman entered a plea of not guilty and was ordered to remain in custody until his trial commenced early the following year. In the months leading up to the event, a dispute began over whether Deadman should be tried in Jackson. The prosecution wanted the trial to be held where the crime occurred, as the jury pool would be predominantly black. But Deadman's lawyers wanted to move it to another jurisdiction with a larger white population. The debate came to an abrupt end when on March 21, 2012, Daryl Deadman pleaded guilty to the charge of capital murder.

He delivered a pre-prepared statement in which he apologized to the Anderson family and asked for their forgiveness. I take full responsibility for my actions on that night. I did a very malicious thing for no reason. Deadman told the court that he was a changed man who had found religion since his arrest and said, I was young and dumb, ignorant and full of hatred. I chose to go down the wrong path. Craig's sister Barbara delivered a statement to the court on behalf of her family that read, These last few months have been very difficult. We cried, we wept, we reminisced about our beloved brother Craig, a loss I cannot even explain. Craig was a big hearted person, one who loved his fellow man, caring, family oriented and a big sense of humor. My brother Craig would give you the shirt off of his back. We, the Anderson family, are praying for racial reconciliation not only in Mississippi, but all over this land and country.

We are praying that the defendant, Deadman and his family find peace. Under Mississippi law, a defendant can be given a double sentence if their actions are found to be a hate crime. Presiding judge Jeff Weale did exactly that, sentencing Daryl Deadman to two life sentences to be served concurrently. Judge Weale stated, Mr. Deadman, having heard your admissions, the very walls of this courthouse cry out for justice. You have admitted killing a man simply because of his race. Your prejudice has brought shame upon you and placed a great stain on the state of Mississippi. Whatever excuse you may offer for what you have done, forget that. There is no excuse you can offer to the family of Mr. Anderson or to your fellow Mississippians who have to try to reconcile the horrible damage you have caused. All the hard work we have done to move our state forward has been stained by you, a stain which will take years to fade.

Addressing the Anderson family directly, Judge Weale then said, Know that Mississippians think about this senseless crime the way you think about it. With all her troubled past, the state of Mississippi stands with you today and condemns this despicable crime and says, There is no excuse for this. After the sentencing, the District Attorney of Jackson said he expected further charges to be placed against the Deadman, with more arrests to come. Quote, This is just the beginning. That same day, Daryl Deadman, John Rice and Dylan Butler were all charged with one count of conspiracy and one of committing hate crimes in violation of the Federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.

These charges were in relation to their history of racially motivated crime, including the murder of Craig Anderson. All three young men denied being racist or being raised to have a hatred of African Americans. Regardless, the next day of March 22, 2012, they each pleaded guilty, marking the first time that the Hate Crimes Prevention Act had ever been used in a case where the defendant's actions resulted in a victim's death. They appeared in court for sentencing in February 2015, three years and seven months after Craig Anderson's murder. Judge Carlton Reeves, the second black federal judge in Mississippi's history, presided. James prepared a statement to be read on his behalf during proceedings, as he still couldn't bear to speak publicly about his husband's murder. It read, You all don't have a clue what you have really done to my family in committing this terrible crime.

James Craig Anderson was a great man. He was a man who loved his family and was a great provider to our son and me. We had a great life and we miss him so much. Since his death, our lives have been turned upside down. James spoke of the detrimental impact Craig's murder had on his own mental health, his inability to work, and the challenges he had since faced as a single parent. Quote, My heart gets so heavy at times because I feel like a failure because I couldn't keep up the things Craig did for us. We were always there for each other. We supported each other and we confided in each other.

I wish none of you would ever see daylight again. There is no room on earth for people like you. Judge Carlton Reeves delivered a long and powerful sentencing speech that touched on the state's troubled past with lynchings and racial injustice. Quote, On June 26, 2011, four days short of his 49th birthday, the blood of James Craig Anderson was added to Mississippi's soil. New generations have attempted to pull Mississippi from the abyss of moral depravity in which it once so proudly floundered in. Despite much progress and the efforts of the new generations, these three defendants are before me today. They and their co-conspirators ripped off the scab of the healing scars of Mississippi, causing her to bleed again. There is absolutely no doubt that in the view of the court, the victims were targeted because of their race. The simple fact is that what turned these children into criminal defendants was their joint decision to act on racial hatred.

In the eyes of these defendants and their co-conspirators, the victims were doomed at birth. Their genetic makeup made them targets. On top of the two life sentences Daryl Deadman had received for the state capital murder charge, Judge Reeves sentenced him to an additional 50 years in prison for his federal hate crimes. Deadman would first serve his 50-year sentence in a federal prison and then be moved to a state facility to serve out his two life sentences. John Rice, who had instigated the unprovoked attack on Craig, was given 18 years and four months in prison. Dylan Butler, who was present but didn't participate, was sentenced to seven years. Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta said that these sentences proved that the Department of Justice would vigorously pursue individuals who committed racially motivated assaults and would, quote, cast a broad net to ensure that all who commit such acts are brought to justice. William Montgomery, who had driven the Jeep on the night of Craig Anderson's murder and had also participated in other hunting expeditions, was also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a hate crime and one count of committing a hate crime.

He was sentenced to 18 years and nine months in prison. Jonathan Gaskamp, who participated in the golf course attack and made threats to kill, was also charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of committing hate crimes. He was sentenced to four years. He was one of three people charged for their participation in the racist gang, but who was not present for Craig Anderson's murder. Another who was not present for Craig's murder, Joseph Dominic, struck a deal to waive the grand jury indictment and in return pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit a hate crime. He was sentenced to four years. Judge Carlton Reeves acknowledged the court's belief that if it wasn't for Craig Anderson's death, the youths would have returned to Jackson to continue their mission to harm. The remaining members of the racist gang, John Blalak, Shelby Richards and Sarah Graves, were each charged with committing a hate crime against Craig Anderson, which carried a possible life sentence.

They, along with the John Rice, were also charged with willfully conspiring to cause bodily harm to African Americans in Jackson. Blalak and Robert Rice also received charges for the attacks leading up to Craig's murder, including for carrying a firearm. Shelby Richards and Sarah Graves faced additional charges for enlisting others to commit hate crimes, and in the case of Graves, for lying to the FBI to conceal the fact that the crime was racially motivated. Blalak, Robert Rice, Richards and Graves cited drunken judgment, youthful foolishness and peer pressure from Daryl Deadman for their participation in the attacks. They each pleaded not guilty and were released on a $100,000 unsecured bond pending trial. However, several months later, all four changed their pleas to guilty. Prior to sentencing, Sarah Graves' mother, Mary, wrote to the court asking for leniency, saying that she didn't raise her daughter to be a racist. Unbeknown to Mary, Sarah had already written to the court to say that her racist views had formed during her childhood, as her mother frequently used hateful racist language at home.

Mary was questioned in court about the content of her daughter's letter, but she remained in denial, insisting she raised her children right. Judge Henry Wingate said that Graves couldn't make the excuse that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, because she was in the place she wanted to be, being the person she wanted to be, but just didn't want to get caught. Craig's sister, Barbara, addressed the Graves and Richards, saying, You sat, watched, encouraged, and rallied around as my brother was beaten. Your thirst for the blood of an innocent African American caused you to pour more fuel on the fire. Craig's husband, James, who had mostly stayed silent during the court proceedings, told the young women, You texted everyone that night, but you couldn't call 911. You were as much to blame as if you'd been behind the wheel. Your baby's yourselves, but I don't feel sorry for you. You knew what you were doing. Shelby Richards was sentenced to eight years, and Sarah Graves would serve five.

Speaking outside of court, Graves' mother, Mary, said she believed that presiding judge Henry Wingate was racist and should be taken off the bench. Graves' attorney agreed, saying, I was dealing with a black judge who was showing racial hatred towards white defendants. He was being a racist. Everybody's racist. I'm convinced of that. Sometimes they know it. Sometimes they don't know it. In response, Judge Wingate commented to The New York Times, quote, This notion of reverse discrimination is one that has plagued racial progress. The term usually signifies apathy for the rights bestowed upon African Americans, rights already enjoyed by most whites. During John Blalack's sentencing hearing, Pastor Brian Richardson testified on his behalf, telling the court that Blalack lacked a great deal of self-esteem and wanted to fit in. Pastor Richardson claimed that Blalack had been bullied by the group and had only joined them in order to survive, adding that at least three teens had taken their own lives after being bullied by the group. Blalack read a statement directed at Craig Anderson's family, saying that he wanted to make amends in any way he could and asked for their forgiveness.

Judge Wingate wasn't convinced that Blalack had shown any real remorse and fully expected that he'd align himself with racist groups once in prison. He urged Blalack to prove his sincerity by rebuilding his character before sentencing him to 20 years. Eight days later, Robert Rice, who was not present on the night Craig was murdered but had participated in the other attacks, was sentenced to 10 years. In addition to the wrongful death suit filed by Craig's family, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department prosecuted a restitution case against the Seven Defendants. The four most prominent members of the group, Daryl Deadman, John Rice, John Butler and William Montgomery, were ordered to pay a collective amount of $840,000 in restitution to Craig's estate. The amount was based on an estimate of Craig's lost future earnings and was intended to ease the financial burden on his family. The outcome of the family's civil lawsuit is unknown. On June 30, 2015, on what would have been Craig's 52nd birthday, Jackson City Council passed a hate crimes ordinance requiring training and adequate resources to help local law enforcement accurately report and document hate crimes committed in the city.

The ordinance also required that an annual report be provided to the city council regarding the occurrence of hate crimes in Jackson. That year, Jackson's annual report stated there were 36 hate groups operating in Mississippi. The Metro Inn was in an area of Jackson troubled by drug use and sex work, and there was speculation that the motel may have played a role in Craig's attack. Metro Inn's owner, Val Patel, said that the media had unfairly characterized his business. He told the Jackson Free Press that his motel provided a service to low-income families who had trouble finding affordable housing in the area. The Metro Inn was the first business coming off the Interstate 20, the highway used by Daryl Deadman and William Montgomery to drive from Brandon to Jackson. The district attorney of Jackson theorized that Craig would have been the first vulnerable black person that Deadman and his group came across. It was purely an opportunistic attack, and had Craig been elsewhere, the group would have targeted someone else.

Val Patel denied rumors that he had sold the CCTV footage of Craig's murder to CNN, but said that without it, there would have been no evidence that it was a racially motivated hate crime. I formally believe in the right cause, and there is not one penny that was involved, other than the money that has killed me from a business point of view. A local councilman called for the motel to be permanently closed, labelling it a public nuisance. Unable to recover from the negative publicity, the Metro Inn permanently closed in 2017. On June 30, 2020, on what would have been Craig's 57th birthday, Mississippi passed a law to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag. It was the last state in the US to retain the Confederate emblem, a popular symbol amongst the white supremacists that represents the war to uphold slavery. A commission is developing a new flag design that includes the phrase, in God we trust, with Mississippi scheduled to vote on the new design in November 2020. Since his husband's murder, James has worked to break the deep-rooted bigotry that incited the crime by teaching their adoptive son not to judge people based on the color of their skin.

Former victim of Daryl Deadman, Jordan Richardson, told the Jackson Free Press that he didn't want the actions of his former bully to bolster racial stereotypes and tensions in his community. Quote, The stereotype that anywhere you go in Jackson, you better be looking over your shoulder, and in Brandon, anywhere you go, you are going to find rednecks. The only way that can happen is through a response of love for one community to the other. Of those convicted for the Jackson race attacks, very few have spoken publicly about their crimes. John Rice was willing to provide a comment to BuzzFeed News for a price. Joseph Dominic told the publication, Right now in society we're in the most volatile times with racism, but I've changed. It's been a different experience in prison. Most of the black guys in here know what I'm in for, but they still love me.

William Montgomery refused to take any personal responsibility for Craig Anderson's death and only felt sorry for himself. Quote, I lost my freedom, family, and everything else for a crime I didn't commit. As of July 2020, Dylan Butler, Joseph Dominic, Jonathan Gaskamp, and Sarah Graves have served their time and been released from prison, while the others remain behind bars. Daryl Deadman is the only one of the 10 people involved in the Jackson race attacks, who is never expected to be released. When sentencing Deadman in 2015, Judge Carton Reeves said, Hate comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and from this case, we know it comes in different sexes and ages. A toxic mix of alcohol, foolishness, and unadulterated hatred caused these young people to resurrect the nightmarish specter of lynchings and lynch mobs from the Mississippi we long to forget. They prowled, they came ready to hurt, they used the dangerous weapons, they targeted the weak, they recruited and encouraged others to join in the coordinated chaos, and they boasted about their shameful activity.

Like a lynching, for these young folk, going out to Africa was like a carnival outing. It was funny to them, an excursion which culminated in the death of innocent African-American James Craig Anderson. On June 26, 2011, the fun ended. What is so disturbing, so shocking, so numbing is that these hunts were perpetrated by our children, students who live among us, educated in our public schools, in our private academies, students who played football, lined up on the same side of the scrimmage line with black teammates, average students and honor students, kids who worked during school and in the summers, kids who now had full-time jobs and some of whom were even unemployed. Some were pursuing higher education, and the court believes they each had dreams to pursue. These children were from two parent homes, and some of whom were the children of divorced parents, and yes, some even raised by a single parent. No doubt, they all had loving parents and loving families. What could transform these young adults into the violent creatures their victims saw?

It was nothing the victims did. They were not championing any cause, political, social, economic. Nothing they did. Not a wolf whistle, not a supposed crime. Nothing they did.