by James Milton Sterling

Created on: May 16, 2009   Last Updated: March 09, 2011

United States Verse Price et al (1967)

Known as one of the most famous criminal trials in American history; United States vs Cecil Price, et al 383; also known as the

Mississippi Burning Trial; the United States charged a group of 18 men with conspiring in a Ku Klux Klan plot to murder three young civil

rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi on June 21, 1964.

These civil rights workers were Michael Schwerer, James Chaney, and Andrew Goodman. As the three young men headed to Longdale,

Mississippi to inspect the ruins of Mount Zion Methodist Church; which had been burned just five days earlier; they checked in with

coworkers.

Before leaving Meridian; the three men informed other council members of the Federated Organizations workers of their plans and set

check in times in accordance with standard security procedures.

Later that day; Neshoba County deputy Cecil Price; who himself was a member of the Ku Klux Klan stopped the three men in the car they

were driving for allegedly driving 35 miles per hour over the authorize speed limit. The three civil rights workers were detained.

The deputy at the Neshoba County Sheriffs office released the three civil rights workers in the darkness of the night. The deputy along

with other Klan members went after the three civil rights workers and detained them once again. This time they were taken to a remote

site at a dam. Once at the site the three civil rights workers were assaulted and shot execution style at point blank range.

All of these acts were part of a plan and conspiracy to kill the three civil rights workers in order to disrupt them from completing the

inspections of the burned down church which was done by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

This in my opinion was definitely an act of terrorism due to the fact that the murders were planned and the exact where abouts of the three

civil rights workers were known and all of the acts which led up to the killings were an act of terrorism.

Sam Bowers; the Imperial Wizard of the White Knights of the Klu Klux Klan of Mississippi sent word in May 1964 to the Klansmen of

Lauderdale and Neshoba counties that it was time to activate Plan 4 which provided for the elimination of the despised civil rights activist

Michael Schwerer.

All of the members of the White Knights of the Klu Klux Klan of Mississippi's Lauderdale and Neshoba counties were aware of the plan

to kill the three civil rights workers

The members of the Klu Klux Klan who were involved in the church burning

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