Robert Kennedy once said "Just because we cannot see clearly the end of the road, that is no reason for not setting out on the essential journey. On the contrary, great change dominates the world, and unless we move with change we will become its victims." Very fittingly, this quote is included in the postscript of Bobby Delaughter's recently released book, Never Too Late: A Prosecutor's Story of Justice in the Medgar Evers Case.
Late on the night of June 12, 1963, Jackson Mississippi's NAACP Field Secretary, Medgar Evers, was gunned down in his driveway.. shot in the back by a self-proclaimed 'rabid racist' by the name of Byron De La Beckwith. Evers managed to crawl almost to the carport door before his wife and children reached him. He died soon after the attack at an area hospital. The assassin was tried twice and acquitted both times, due to hung juries. Incidentally, in 1989, a newspaper story broke about possible jury tampering in the Beckwith case and caused the crime to catapult into the limelight once again. This time, however, it caught the eye of Hinds County's assistant district attorney, Mr. Bobby Delaughter.
With the help of district attorney Ed Peters, Delaughter and his staff reopened the case against Beckwith and secured a conviction and a sentence of life in prison for Beckwith in 1994. Beckwith died earlier this year at the age of 80, having only served 7 years.
Just last week, I had the privilege of attending a book reading/signing by none other than Bobby Delaughter. My interest in this case is caused mainly by my interest in teaching history. The story of Medgar Evers' assassination is something I study with my students during our unit on the civil rights movement.. and the subsequent conviction of Beckwith provides an astounding lesson on perseverance and determination that I can pass along through my teaching.
At the book signing, Mr. Delaughter spoke with us about the style of his book and some of the things he found to be the most astonishing when trying to build the 'new' case against Beckwith. His story reads quite like someone's journal; perhaps because it's heavily based on just that. Delaughter, upon realizing the historical significance of such a case early in his investigations, began keeping a daily record of not only facts and figures concerning the upcoming trial, but also his deepest feelings and personal insights regarding his own belief system.
Don't let this 'journal style' of writing fool you, however. To me, this account is as good or better than any fictional suspense/mystery I have ever read. Regardless of knowing the outcome of the trial before you read this book, you will become hooked from the first page and read with great relish until the final closing arguments are given and the verdict is read.
Delaughter details many aspects of the case, including how the murder weapon was again found for the third trial (his father-in-law, Judge Russell Moore, had kept it after the second trial and it was found in a closet at his home), how he and his staff worked diligently to locate witnesses from 30 years past, how Beckwith himself couldn't help but to still babble about murdering Evers to friend and stranger alike, and how Mrs. Myrlie Evers, widow of Medgar, slowly opened her heart to trust and believe in the Hinds County District Attorney's office.
In his book, Delaughter also discusses how, after finding the murder weapon, he and Ed Peters decided to keep its discovery a secret until enough evidence was garnered to secure an indictment. (They were afraid once Beckwith realized they were serious about prosecution he would cease giving valuable information to every reporter that graced his path.) Through a misunderstanding, though, Delaughter's brother-in-law informed the press about the gun's whereabouts and caused the entire prosecuting staff to come under immediate scrutiny for lying and withholding evidence. At the book signing, he quipped, "I learned a very valuable lesson through that experience. I should have never said no to having found the gun. I should have just declared 'no comment' from the beginning".
Though this first-hand account does not deal with the movie about the assassination of Evers, Delaughter does make reference to Ghosts of Mississippi (in which he was wonderfully portrayed by actor Alec Baldwin), saying, "Notwithstanding some inevitable criticism, the movie did a lot of good. The power of film is awesome, and it conveyed to millions the many important messages that I always felt the case contained. True, the story began thirty years ago, but it addressed ideals of the present and future."
Delaughter has done a wonderful job with this story of 'justice finally served'. Throughout the book, I noticed several strong themes:
-It does not matter when a crime was committed, or how old a defendant is. What matters is that justice is done.
-The motives of the Hinds County DA's office were not politically charged in any way. Their desire to re-prosecute Beckwith was based solely on the belief that a murderer should pay for his crime.
-The world was watching the city of Jackson and the state of Mississippi during the trial in the early 90s. While many people were strongly vocal in their displeasure concerning the case, Delaughter's team helped to ultimately heal an old wound and bring some closure to a crime that had haunted so many for so very long.
This is a fantastic book written by an exceptional person with great warmth, dignity, and heart. Delaughter's story is one of courage, strength, and the willingness to believe that right will prevail in the end. I recommend this book to anyone, especially if you have come to doubt the legal workings of our nation.. may this story plant a tiny seed of inspiration in you, as it did in me.
*I have plans to visit Jackson this summer and spend a bit more time with Bobby Delaughter. He has graciously agreed to show me the courtroom where the trial took place and give me a tour of the former home of Medgar Evers (which I understand is now open to the public).
Thank you for reading.. have a great night!
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