Cold cases
Below are capsule summaries of cases that have been authorized for release by the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board. Clicking on a case will bring you to a more extensive synopsis of that incident, as well as to a link that will take you to the National Archives’ Civil Rights Cold Case Records Portal, where the case file may be viewed.
The Board takes into account many factors in determining which cases it wants to examine for potential release. Given its statutory time constraints, the Board is focused on prioritizing cases that are representative of the diverse nature of civil rights cold cases. Currently, the Board is required to terminate its work no later than January, 2027.
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John Lester Mitchell was a 33-year-old World War II veteran. He and his wife, Mary Ella, lived in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, and had one daughter, Waver Ann.
Edward Green was a private in the U.S. Army, stationed at Camp Livingston, Louisiana, in 1944. A resident of New York City, he was approximately 23 years old.
Rev. Edward Green was a 23-year-old minister and World War II veteran. He lived in Elmore County, Alabama.
Thomas Edward Broadus was a 26-year-old private in the 1322nd Service Command Unit of the U.S. Army. A Georgia native, he and his wife, Estelle, had five children and they lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The "Five Atlanta Fishermen" were all friends from Atlanta. They were Lee Roy Holloway, 49; Lonnie Merritt, 49; John Sterling, 46; Marvin Walker, 66; and Robert Walker, 59.
Isaiah Nixon was a 28-year-old farmer in Montgomery County, Georgia. He and his wife, Sallie, had six children. Dover Carter was a 42-year-old farmer in Montgomery County, Georgia. He and his wife, Bessie, had 13 children.