A grand jury in Mississippi declined to indict the white woman whose accusation set off the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago despite revelations about an unserved arrest warrant and an unpublished memoir by the woman.
There wasn't enough evidence to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham on charges of kidnapping and manslaughter, according to the district attorney.
It is no longer likely that Donham will ever be prosecuted for her role in the events that led to Till's lynching.
The last living witness to Till's abduction said Tuesday's announcement is "unfortunate, but predictable."
The prosecutor tried his best, and we appreciate his efforts, but he alone can't reverse hundreds of years of anti-Black systems that ensured those who killed Emmett Till would not be brought to justice.
The American justice system was set up in such a way that they could not be brought to justice for their heinous crimes, that's the fact.
Donham's son Tom Bryant wasn't reachable Tuesday.
An arrest warrant for Donham, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam was found in the basement of the courthouse. Donham was never taken into custody after the men were acquitted of murder charges in Till's death.
In a magazine interview, the men confessed to the crime, but they weren't retried. Both are no longer alive.
In an unpublished memoir obtained by The Associated Press, Donham said she was unaware of what would happen to the 14-year-old Till, who lived in Chicago and was visiting relatives in Mississippi when he was kidnapped, killed and tossed in a river. She claimed that he made lewd comments and grabbed her while she was alone at work.
In the manuscript, Donham said that the men brought Till to her in the middle of the night in order to identify him but that she tried to deny it was him. She claimed that Till identified himself to the men despite being kidnapped.
The body of Till was found in a river with a heavy metal fan. The decision by his mother to open his casket for his funeral in Chicago showed the horror of what had happened.
After receiving inquiries about whether charges could be brought against anyone who is still alive, the Justice Department opened an investigation into Till's killing. The FBI worked with state investigators to see if state charges could be brought after the statute of limitations ran out. The Justice Department closed the case after a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict anyone.
A book quoted Donham as saying she lied when she claimed that Till made sexual advances towards her. Donham was accused of lying about Till. Federal officials said last year that there was not enough evidence to prove that she lied to the FBI.
That's right.
Breed is an Associated Press writer.
Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the AP. A program called Report for America places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. He can be followed on the social media site at www.mikergoldberg.com.
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