Who we are & what we do
The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board is a nonpartisan panel of private citizens, appointed by the President, who are working to release the contents of federal investigations into unresolved cold cases from the civil rights era. In making these records publicly available, the goal is to provide a measure of clarity to relatives of victims, and also provide a more comprehensive picture of a dark chapter in our nation’s history. Find out more.
“After all this time, we might not solve every one of these cold cases, but my hope is that our efforts will, at the very least, help us find some long overdue healing and understanding of the truth.”
- Sen. Doug Jones, July 10, 2018, on the floor of the U.S. Senate
Newly released cases
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case
Wilmer Smith
Wilmer Smith was a 39-year-old native of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. He lived in Detroit, Michigan and worked for the Dodge Factory.
caseJesse Thornton
Jesse Thornton, a farmer in his late 20s or early 30s, lived in Luverne, Alabama with his wife, Nellie, and nephew, Bennie.
caseA.C. Williams
A.C. Williams was a 20-year-old man who lived in Quincy, Florida with his mother, Hattie Williams. He was born in Waycross, Georgia and was the oldest son of Frank and Hattie Williams.
caseBob White
Bob White was a 28-year-old farmworker and scrap iron yard laborer from Livingston, Texas. He was married to Ruby Lee Keeland White, whom he met while living in Houston, Texas.
caseWillie Vinson
Willie Vinson, 31, was born in Jefferson, Texas. He lived in Texarkana, Texas for about five months and worked as a dish washer at a cafe.
caseClarence Thompson
Clarence Thompson was a 36-year-old Works Progress Administration laborer. He lived with his sister, Lillian Bailey, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
caseQuinzy Hill
Quinzy Hill was a 40-year-old tenant farmer in Coleman, Texas. He was married to Rose Mae Hill and had four children.
Abraham and Janie Boatman, née Conner, were a married couple living near Hoffman, Oklahoma. Abraham Boatman was a 50-year-old farmer and World War I veteran. Janie Boatman was 49.
caseAletha Bell Carter
Aletha Bell Carter was a 17-year-old high school student from Pine Island, Horry County, South Carolina. The daughter of James Nolon and Archie Bell Carter, she had eight siblings.
caseAlfonzo Merritt
Alfonzo Merritt was a 39-year-old coach cleaner in Tuscumbia, Alabama. He was married to Annie Merritt and they had a son, Carl.
caseWillie Lee Davis
Willie Lee Davis was a 24-year-old Army technician from Georgia working in the Detachment Medical Department at New Orleans Army Air Base in New Orleans, Louisiana.
caseWilliam Fowler
William Fowler was a 23-year-old cook who lived in Spartanburg, South Carolina with his wife.
“We have an obligation. We have a mission. We have a mandate. The blood of hundreds of innocent men and women is calling out to us.”
- Rep. John Lewis
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