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White Mississippi Teens Accused in Racially Motivated Murder

HeadlineAug 09, 2011

Two white Mississippi teens have been linked to the unprovoked murder of a black man. Prosecutors say Deryl Dedmon, Jr., and John Aaron Rice explicitly sought an African American to harm when they left a party in late June. Along with other young people, the two drove to a black area where they found James Craig Anderson, a 49-year-old black auto plant worker. The teens severely beat Anderson while yelling “white power!” and other racial epithets. Surveillance footage then shows Dedmon’s truck driving over Anderson, killing him instantly. Dedmon has been charged with murder and faces a double life sentence, while Rice’s murder charges have been reduced to aggravated assault. The other teens involved in the incident have not been charged.

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