The horrifying lynching of Emmett Till may have happened in 1955, but until an arrest warrant is served against the woman who directly caused his murder then justice truly can’t be had for the slain boy’s surviving family. That’s why a lawsuit has been initiated by the cousin of the famed teenager, who was murdered by a group of white men after a woman named Carolyn Bryant falsely accused him of “making improper advances” on her during one of the most racially turbulent times in U.S. history.
The Las Vegas Sun reports that Patricia Sterling of Jackson, Mississippi is a surviving cousin of Emmett Till, and she wants justice for his grisly murder that took place nearly 70 years ago. Sterling is currently suing the sheriff of Leflore County — Ricky Banks — in an attempt to compel him to act on an arrest warrant that was kept buried and hidden until recently. The unserved warrant was written up in 1955 and was intended for the arrest of Mrs. Roy Bryant — aka, Carolyn Bryant.
Emmett Till was only 14-years-old when he was horrifically murdered in a lynch-style attack by the husband of Carolyn Bryant and some of his buddies in August of 1955. Carolyn Bryant falsely accused the teenager of physically accosting her, but in reality the little boy did no such thing. The husband of the lying woman flew into a rage and gathered up his posse of racist good-ole-boys, and together they kidnapped Emmett and killed him in a case that has remained an example of racial murder to this day.
Authorities refused to arrest Carolyn Bryant during the 1950s because they “didn’t want to bother the woman because she was the mother of two young kids.” This was, of course, further insult to injury, since Emmett Till himself was a child — and his death robbed a mother of her son. The loved ones of the slain teenager are hoping a lawsuit will help right the many wrongs that took place in 1955.
There is no statute of limitations on murder, so there is no reason to hold Carolyn Bryant (now Carolyn Bryant Donham) accountable for her role in the murder of Emmett Till. Hopefully the court agrees and something can finally been done to bring some justice to his family. Carolyn Bryant Donham lied about this child, and her lies led to her murder. She shares responsibility in his death, and always has.
Chelsea Hoffman is a true crime writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. She is best known for her coverage of missing people including the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann as well as the heartbreaking cases of Dylan Redwine, Heather Elvis and many others.
