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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Daniel Webster Hunter was a 21-year-old waiter at a railway cafe. He lived in Birmingham, Alabama and was the son of Frank and Lillian Hunter. Frank Hunter was a private detective in Birmingham.
Ike Madden was a 33-year-old resident of Birmingham, Alabama. He worked as a laborer and was married to Francis Crockett. Madden had two children, Thelma and Clarence.
John Rulse, age unknown, lived in Colbert County, Alabama.
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.