New Developments in Hit and Run Killing of Black Mississippi Man

There are two very important new developments in the horrific case of James Craig Anderson, the Black Mississippi man killed in an alleged racially motivated hit-and-run murder by a white teenager.

Authorities have upgraded the charges against 19-year-old Deryl Dedmon from murder to capital murder. Police say Dedmon and a group of teens targeted and beat the 49-year-old auto plant worker. The FBI is now involved in the case.

Also: Personal details have also emerged about the victim. James Anderson had a male partner and they were raising a daughter, reports the New York Times.

Mr. Anderson was a good country cook, a gifted gardener and always genial, his family said. He liked his job on the assembly line at the Nissan plant north of Jackson, where he had worked for about seven years. "If you met him, the first thing you were going to see was that grand piano smile," said his eldest sister, Barbara Anderson Young.

He made a point of taking care of old people and children and was helping his partner of 17 years, James Bradfield, raise the 4-year-old relative for whom Mr. Bradfield has legal guardianship. He sang tenor in the choir at the First Hyde Park Missionary Baptist Church and was so good "he’d have you falling out," Mr. Bradfield, 44, said.

Witnesses report one teenager yelled "white power" and that Dedmon shouted the n-word. Dedmon has a history of bullying, as well as racial and homophobic animosity.

In an interview at his church in a nicely kept section of the county where Mr. Dedmon was raised, [Rev. Brian Richardson], who is white, said Mr. Dedmon had called his son, Jordan, 18, derogatory words for homosexual and mocked his friendship with black students when they were in high school together. Mr. Richardson said he had raised the issue with school officials, and once had to deal with the police when Mr. Dedmon and some other boys drove to the family home.

Surveillance video shows Anderson being struck by a truck that belongs to Dedmon. Dedmon later called a friend to "brag about what he had done" after running over the man, testimony revealed.

John Aaron Rice, 18, also faces an assault charge in the case. Prosecutors will reportedly ask a grand jury to indict both Rice on murder charges, reported the LA Times.

James Anderson's family has been reluctant to speak with the media. Their reluctance is understandable. If these facts were known weeks ago, would the horrific murder still have captured the nation's attention? Sadly, the answer is probably "no".

Comments

[Faison]

>>>If these facts were known, would the horrific murder still have captured the nation's attention?

No. I cannot see the entire nation riveted because a gay black man had been killed. And sadly the black community would never have been unified behind this tragic case.

I'll be waiting to see how quickly people erase or ignore this man's sexuality. SMDH

[Faison]

Thanks for pointing this out, btw. I would have never known. Very sad indeed.

[Osiris]

Wow..that's horrible. Thanks for the info.

[Kevin P.]

You're not joking about downplaying his sexuality. Do you think there would've have been as much outrage about what happened to this poor man IF they knew about his sexuality before.

How can folks talk about unification and community while continuing to ignore and exclude a segment of the population who in fact faces the SAME EXACT issues every day in this country (talking about Black LGBTs).

I'm sorry to say this, but mark my words, they WILL deny that he was gay.

[A. Ronald]

WOW.

[MW09]

RIP Mr. Anderson, you truly did not deserve any of this! My heart goes out to his partner and their young child. I had a feeling Mr. Anderson was gay. It doesn't matter to me that he was! Some evil vile scumbag murdered him!!!!!! That's all that matters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That atrocious SOB needs the death penalty!!!!!!!!!!!! His lil' scumbag friends need to go down too!

[John]

Confused... Who is who? The story has "19-year-old Deryl Dedmon" charged... later in the quote, "Mr. Dedmon had called his son, Jordan, 18, derogatory words..." Does Deryl have a son who is one year younger than he? I know they start early in the South, but I think there's an error here.

[gb]

@John, Jordan is the preachers son.

[Paul]

John: No error at all. DERYL DEDMON is the murder suspect. JORDAN RICHARDSON is the pastor's son. They have different first, last names and ages.

Rod also included the pastor's name so we wouldn't be confused. If you read too quickly, or are trying to find "errors", you'll lose your way.

[Alonzo]

This story is awful. I feel so sad for that man's family ... and now his partner and daughter. My prayers.

[Nathan James]

While my stomach churns at the deataoils of this unspeakable atrocity, I'm heartened to see that prosecutors are taking this case as seriously as they can. It wasn't too long ago that the killing of and SGL man of color wouldn't be vigorously investigated, let alone prosecuted, in the deep, deep South.

While I'm opposed to capital punishment, even for a monster such as Dedmon, I have no difficulty at all in seeing him sentenced to life in prison without parole. I hope Mr. Dedmon, if convicted, lives well into his 80s in Mississippi's prison system. He's earned that fate truly and well.

[elg]

@MW09 said:
"I had a feeling Mr. Anderson was gay."

The first time I saw his picture, I had the same feeling.

I think it will be very difficult for Mr. Anderson's family to deny that he was gay simply because he had a long-term male partner. The family might try to downplay it in some way but I don't see how they can totally deny it.

I hope Redmon spends a VERY long time in jail.

[DBarr]

So sad. SMDH

[Jamel Smith]

Mr. Anderson was attacked and killed by domestic terrorists.

My prayers goes out to his loved ones.

[Chitown Kev]

Wow!

and you know what?

Everytime this case comes up at a (straight) black blog, someone needs to bring up that this man was a black gay man and a father.

Otherwise, I would think that it wouldn't get brought up.

[Chitown Kev]

and now that I think about it...

it needs to be brought up at the (white) gay blogs that didn't think that this was a "gay story" and where even those commentaries were filled with racist comments...in fact...I'll b(l)ack

[Mike]

I hope that b*****d rots in prison for what he has done. The white gay blogs never pick up on things like this and think that the black community including the black LGBT community are the one's who cause problems.

[BlackGayDude]

My heart goes out to the family. He was a father with a child and a partner who dearly loved him.

[BLACK]

I hope he get the death penalty and see how his family feel when his life is over. I really feel awful that the man had to die in such a hanius way and for what...RACISM AND BIGIOTRY AND HOMOPHOBIA...FOLKS LIKE THEM DO NOT VALUE LIFE SO SHOULD NOT ENJOY LIFE THEMSELVES IN THIS CASE.

[Dluv]

Everytime I see that picture of Mr. Anderson I want to cry because he looks like he was a nice sweet southern gentleman. And now we learn he was a loving devoted father and in a long term committed relationship with a man. He was the role model we should have been seeing. Just heartbreaking.

[Honut Sinti]

Aching heart.

RIP Mr. Anderson.

[alicia banks]

cc this evil to hobama and his post-racial lies!!!

shame!!!

http://aliciabanks.xanga.com/733030853/racism-is-no-relic---remember-the-lynching-of-james-byrd/?page=6#viewcomments

http://aliciabanks.xanga.com/754564039/a-memorial-to-our-betrayal-%E2%80%93-on-dishonoring-dr-king/