Murder in Mississippi

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0:00:02 > 0:00:03DIAL TONE

0:00:03 > 0:00:05DIALLING NUMBER

0:00:05 > 0:00:06RINGING

0:00:06 > 0:00:08DISTANT SIRENS

0:00:08 > 0:00:16This programme contains some strong language and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

0:00:40 > 0:00:42This was after the accident.

0:00:42 > 0:00:44How old was Sarah, 18?

0:00:44 > 0:00:47Sarah just turned 18.

0:00:47 > 0:00:49Do you miss her?

0:00:49 > 0:00:51- You don't miss her, do you?- Yeah.

0:00:52 > 0:00:55It was heartbreaking. I was mad.

0:00:58 > 0:01:00She probably thought they were just going to ride around

0:01:00 > 0:01:03the country backroads. Either way,

0:01:03 > 0:01:05she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

0:01:05 > 0:01:07I mean, shit, she could've called me.

0:01:17 > 0:01:18DISTANT SIRENS

0:01:18 > 0:01:20RADIO CRACKLES

0:01:25 > 0:01:27SIRENS WAIL

0:01:28 > 0:01:31HORNS BLARE

0:01:33 > 0:01:35INDISTINCT VOICES ON RADIO

0:01:44 > 0:01:49Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

0:01:49 > 0:01:52From every mountainside.

0:01:52 > 0:01:56There's enough to keep us busy in this city.

0:01:56 > 0:01:58I call it job security.

0:02:01 > 0:02:05We were working 12 to eight shifts.

0:02:05 > 0:02:08We were going westbound

0:02:08 > 0:02:11and we passed the Metro Inn.

0:02:14 > 0:02:18I remember passing by the hotel, and observing several subjects,

0:02:18 > 0:02:20white males, what appeared to be white males,

0:02:20 > 0:02:21standing beside a vehicle.

0:02:23 > 0:02:26He keyed up on the radio, he said, "That doesn't look right."

0:02:26 > 0:02:31If you see white males, you know, clean, dressed, nice cars,

0:02:31 > 0:02:34that side of town, that late,

0:02:34 > 0:02:36something isn't right about that.

0:02:36 > 0:02:38It is segregation.

0:02:38 > 0:02:40- ON RADIO:- Direction 1520, Ellis Avenue.

0:02:40 > 0:02:41SIRENS WAIL

0:02:41 > 0:02:451520, Ellis Avenue, across the street of I20 at the Metro Inn.

0:02:45 > 0:02:49Reports of a green truck that just hit a male subject.

0:02:49 > 0:02:51As we're making this turn right here,

0:02:51 > 0:02:56myself and Moore are starting to see several subjects standing out right

0:02:56 > 0:02:59here, in front of the Metro Inn,

0:02:59 > 0:03:03and a body lying on the ground, and they were very irate -

0:03:03 > 0:03:06screaming and yelling.

0:03:06 > 0:03:08There wasn't any blood.

0:03:08 > 0:03:10His back was on the curb and his head was in the grass.

0:03:12 > 0:03:14Several people around him.

0:03:14 > 0:03:17These people that were staying here actually witnessed it.

0:03:17 > 0:03:19They actually saw it happen.

0:03:19 > 0:03:22We were able to ascertain that it was a hit-and-run.

0:03:22 > 0:03:25Then they began to tell us that they were using racial slurs,

0:03:25 > 0:03:27saying "nigger."

0:03:27 > 0:03:30To see white kids actually purposely run down

0:03:30 > 0:03:33a black man for no reason...

0:03:33 > 0:03:36that would upset a lot of folks - black and white.

0:03:36 > 0:03:39At that time, he was deceased.

0:03:39 > 0:03:40No life in his body.

0:03:40 > 0:03:42Eyes half open.

0:03:44 > 0:03:46Why is it Aunt Sarah's not here?

0:03:46 > 0:03:50- I don't know.- Is she on vacation? - No.

0:03:50 > 0:03:53Do you remember Aunt Geezy telling you anything about that she was

0:03:53 > 0:03:57- going to be going away?- Mm-hmm, because we had her go away party.

0:03:57 > 0:04:01- Mm-hmm.- We had karaoke and me and my friend Caitlin,

0:04:01 > 0:04:03we sung a song for Geezy.

0:04:03 > 0:04:05- What did y'all sing?- Let It Go.

0:04:05 > 0:04:10Do you want Nana to tell you why Aunt Geezy's not here?

0:04:10 > 0:04:12Do you know?

0:04:12 > 0:04:14- No, not really. - There was an accident.

0:04:16 > 0:04:21And she was with other kids, and they all got in trouble.

0:04:22 > 0:04:25There was ten of them, and everybody got in trouble.

0:04:27 > 0:04:30After they told us a brief description of the vehicle,

0:04:30 > 0:04:34and which direction they went in, we decided to get on the Interstate,

0:04:34 > 0:04:36and hopefully catch up to the vehicle.

0:04:36 > 0:04:39- ON RADIO:- Looking for a hit-and-run driver, white male driver.

0:04:39 > 0:04:42I noticed the vehicle, and I immediately got on the radio,

0:04:42 > 0:04:45you know, blood circulating, my adrenaline's going.

0:04:45 > 0:04:46We may actually have the vehicle.

0:04:46 > 0:04:49Eastbound on I20, again.

0:04:49 > 0:04:53As I pull up beside the vehicle, he looks over at me and we lock eyes,

0:04:53 > 0:04:56and at that point in time, I knew this was my suspect.

0:04:56 > 0:04:59And he had this blank stare about him,

0:04:59 > 0:05:02which it was like a chilling,

0:05:02 > 0:05:03like a cold-hearted look.

0:05:03 > 0:05:05I'll never forget that look.

0:05:10 > 0:05:13Rolls his window down. I ask for his driver's licence.

0:05:13 > 0:05:15He gives it to me.

0:05:15 > 0:05:17I observe the two females in the truck.

0:05:17 > 0:05:19At this point in time, they're not saying anything.

0:05:19 > 0:05:21They act as though...

0:05:21 > 0:05:24they don't know why they're being stopped.

0:05:24 > 0:05:26Deryl was the driver.

0:05:26 > 0:05:31For someone who had just assaulted a man, robbed him and run over him,

0:05:31 > 0:05:34in the brutal way that he did, he was just going home.

0:05:34 > 0:05:36It's like another day.

0:05:36 > 0:05:39Shelbie was sitting beside him.

0:05:39 > 0:05:41She really thought it was joke. It's like it didn't matter to them

0:05:41 > 0:05:46that they had just ran over and killed an innocent black man.

0:05:46 > 0:05:51And then you had Sarah, sitting beside her on the front seat.

0:05:51 > 0:05:54Sarah was actually very humble.

0:05:54 > 0:05:57She was part of something that she probably didn't want to be part of,

0:05:57 > 0:06:00and didn't know that it was fixing to happen.

0:06:00 > 0:06:05I think she was more likely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

0:06:05 > 0:06:08I went and looked at the front of the truck, and on the

0:06:08 > 0:06:14right front bumper was a sight I don't think I've ever seen before.

0:06:14 > 0:06:16One that has never...

0:06:16 > 0:06:19I can't forget. It was, erm...

0:06:19 > 0:06:23It was, erm... It...

0:06:23 > 0:06:25It appeared to be brain matter and blood

0:06:25 > 0:06:27from where he had run over him.

0:06:35 > 0:06:37How you doing?

0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Morning.- Hey. What's going on? - How you doing?

0:06:44 > 0:06:46- You OK?- I'm good, how are you? - Good.

0:06:46 > 0:06:48This is a one-way glass.

0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's on the opposite side of the actual interview room.

0:06:50 > 0:06:54The suspect's back is always to this side of the room.

0:06:55 > 0:06:58Dedmon initially lied and said that

0:06:58 > 0:07:01Mr Anderson jumped in front of his truck.

0:07:01 > 0:07:06This is the victim splatter of blood on the vehicle.

0:07:07 > 0:07:10Shelbie was brought into the interview room.

0:07:10 > 0:07:12She was laughing. It was a joke to her.

0:07:12 > 0:07:16It was funny. She did not take it serious at all.

0:07:16 > 0:07:20And that's the thing that follows me, that I remember most.

0:07:20 > 0:07:24Sarah's giving a totally different story,

0:07:24 > 0:07:28and the story that Sarah is giving is bad.

0:07:38 > 0:07:44Sarah was clearly upset and in shock.

0:07:46 > 0:07:49She had to gather herself prior to the interview.

0:07:49 > 0:07:51She had been crying the whole morning.

0:08:11 > 0:08:15According to Sarah Graves, Deryl Dedmon gets out of his vehicle,

0:08:15 > 0:08:18and Sarah sees that Deryl is fighting with the victim,

0:08:18 > 0:08:20James Greg Anderson.

0:08:32 > 0:08:35The actual assault took place in this area,

0:08:35 > 0:08:37cos this is the blind spot of the camera.

0:08:37 > 0:08:41Yeah. This is where he was assaulted and they took his wallet,

0:08:41 > 0:08:43and robbed him.

0:09:14 > 0:09:17This was my beat. I knew that they had surveillance.

0:09:17 > 0:09:20This sent chills through my body just watching it.

0:09:21 > 0:09:24When I first saw this, I was, like... I couldn't believe it.

0:09:28 > 0:09:30You see when he goes on the kerb.

0:09:30 > 0:09:33The control to actually veer your vehicle on a kerb.

0:09:37 > 0:09:40- And they hit him.- Yeah.

0:09:49 > 0:09:51Have you ever hit a dog?

0:09:51 > 0:09:54- I mean, it does something to you. - Yeah.- You feel it.- Yeah.

0:09:54 > 0:09:56- Under your tyre.- Yeah.

0:09:56 > 0:09:58I mean...

0:09:58 > 0:10:00they ran him down like a dog.

0:10:00 > 0:10:02A human being.

0:10:02 > 0:10:04Like he was just an animal.

0:10:05 > 0:10:09Dedmon showed no remorse for the actual crime,

0:10:09 > 0:10:12the actual act of taking another individual's life.

0:10:48 > 0:10:52Mr Dedmon came to Jackson for the specific purpose

0:10:52 > 0:10:56of targeting black people. Not a white target, not a Mexican target.

0:10:56 > 0:10:59A black target.

0:10:59 > 0:11:01It was a modern-day lynching.

0:11:02 > 0:11:06Dedmon is the only person who was charged on the night of the murder.

0:11:27 > 0:11:31I got off work. He wasn't here.

0:11:31 > 0:11:35So I was, like, "That's odd...

0:11:35 > 0:11:36"that he hadn't made it in."

0:11:38 > 0:11:41The detective asked me was I James Bradfield,

0:11:41 > 0:11:45and I told him, "Yes." He said, "Well,

0:11:45 > 0:11:48"James Craig Anderson was in an accident last night."

0:11:49 > 0:11:50So I said, "Oh, OK."

0:11:50 > 0:11:53I said, "Where is he? Let me know where he at."

0:11:59 > 0:12:02That's when they told me that, erm...

0:12:02 > 0:12:05"Well, you can't go to him, because...

0:12:07 > 0:12:12"That's when he got killed. He got killed that night."

0:12:12 > 0:12:14HE SIGHS

0:12:19 > 0:12:21HE SNIFFS

0:12:24 > 0:12:27So...

0:12:32 > 0:12:3518 years, you're with a person 18 years...

0:12:38 > 0:12:40He loved gardening.

0:12:40 > 0:12:43He loved flowers.

0:12:43 > 0:12:46He would plant them. I wouldn't plant them.

0:12:47 > 0:12:51That's one thing I do, because...

0:12:51 > 0:12:56I knew he loved to do it, but I get out here and I try

0:12:56 > 0:12:59to do it myself or I'll get the yard man come out here and do it for me.

0:12:59 > 0:13:01HE LAUGHS

0:13:08 > 0:13:12I had to tell Demeris, and I didn't know how to tell Demeris that

0:13:12 > 0:13:14Craig was killed.

0:13:16 > 0:13:21So, you know, and that was, like, the biggest part...

0:13:21 > 0:13:24to see a little child that age, you know,

0:13:24 > 0:13:27hear that your stepdad is dead.

0:13:35 > 0:13:38The first thing I heard was the phone ring,

0:13:38 > 0:13:42and it was Sarah, saying, "Mama...

0:13:42 > 0:13:46"can you come get me? And I could tell there was something wrong,

0:13:46 > 0:13:49just in her voice, like she'd been crying.

0:13:50 > 0:13:53There's the Police Department right there.

0:13:53 > 0:13:56I reached over and opened the door for her,

0:13:56 > 0:13:59because I was so anxious to get her, you know,

0:13:59 > 0:14:01I didn't know what was going on.

0:14:01 > 0:14:03She looked like she'd been scared to death.

0:14:03 > 0:14:06To me, she looked like she'd been raped.

0:14:06 > 0:14:08She was suicidal.

0:14:09 > 0:14:11And I put her in the hospital cos of it.

0:14:13 > 0:14:15I didn't want her to take her life.

0:14:21 > 0:14:24And over there's her graduation picture.

0:14:24 > 0:14:27She was very popular and very outgoing.

0:14:27 > 0:14:30I don't know, everybody loved Sarah.

0:14:32 > 0:14:33It's sad to think somebody's away,

0:14:33 > 0:14:36because it makes you feel like they're dead.

0:14:36 > 0:14:39We're blessed. She's not.

0:14:39 > 0:14:41She will come home.

0:14:45 > 0:14:49I keep going back to the day that it happened.

0:14:49 > 0:14:51The day I got the news,

0:14:51 > 0:14:55and I'm hearing this role-play of how they did it in my head,

0:14:55 > 0:14:59and it kept going on and on for finally...

0:14:59 > 0:15:02I got to the point where I couldn't even breathe at night.

0:15:02 > 0:15:04I couldn't sleep at night.

0:15:04 > 0:15:06Everywhere I go, people asking,

0:15:06 > 0:15:09people asking the same question over and over again.

0:15:10 > 0:15:13People tell me they know how I feel,

0:15:13 > 0:15:15but don't nobody know how I'm feeling.

0:15:17 > 0:15:19Nobody know how I'm feeling.

0:15:20 > 0:15:23Nobody know.

0:15:23 > 0:15:25HE CRIES

0:15:35 > 0:15:39I say today, people don't even know how, the things I had to go through,

0:15:39 > 0:15:42the things I had to endure.

0:15:52 > 0:15:54Don't nobody know.

0:15:57 > 0:16:00I wouldn't teach my child how to hate people.

0:16:02 > 0:16:07I would not teach them because a person's white, you should hate 'em.

0:16:09 > 0:16:11I would not do that.

0:16:29 > 0:16:33I feel like they should not have let them kids go that night,

0:16:33 > 0:16:37because I want every last one of them to serve time.

0:16:39 > 0:16:44If it had've been black kids going over to Brandon,

0:16:44 > 0:16:46and killed somebody...

0:16:46 > 0:16:50I can guarantee you, they would not have gotten out of jail.

0:17:01 > 0:17:05Dedmon was the driver of the truck that struck and killed Anderson.

0:17:05 > 0:17:07Bonds were set at 100,000 each.

0:17:09 > 0:17:13Prosecutors believe that ten separate people had some level

0:17:13 > 0:17:15of involvement in this.

0:17:18 > 0:17:20They drive from their majority white county in Mississippi

0:17:20 > 0:17:23into majority black Jackson, the state capital,

0:17:23 > 0:17:25and they basically made a sport of it.

0:17:31 > 0:17:33Lots of white folks moved out of Jackson.

0:17:34 > 0:17:37Like the neighbourhood where I'm living in now,

0:17:37 > 0:17:40it used be mostly white,

0:17:40 > 0:17:42but now,

0:17:42 > 0:17:45you see it's only blacks up there,

0:17:45 > 0:17:47and they don't want

0:17:47 > 0:17:49no part of Jackson.

0:17:50 > 0:17:56So in parts of Rankin County, you won't find a black person in.

0:17:56 > 0:17:58Of course, they're not going to tell you,

0:17:58 > 0:18:00but that make it hard for you to get up in there,

0:18:00 > 0:18:03hard to get into that neighbourhood or whatever.

0:18:03 > 0:18:07People have burned crosses in a black person's yard,

0:18:07 > 0:18:10because they moved to a certain area.

0:18:13 > 0:18:16So, segregation still exists in Mississippi - period.

0:18:19 > 0:18:21I don't think it'll ever leave.

0:18:32 > 0:18:35Everyone here in Crystal Springs, they know me.

0:18:35 > 0:18:37They know my sister, and they know her story,

0:18:37 > 0:18:40and they don't think no less of either one of us.

0:18:40 > 0:18:42Someone calls you a redneck around here, it ain't like,

0:18:42 > 0:18:44they don't take it like it's ugly.

0:18:44 > 0:18:47We take it as in you're just really country.

0:18:48 > 0:18:50INTERVIEWER: Are you redneck?

0:18:50 > 0:18:52I mean, I'm country, but I don't...

0:18:52 > 0:18:55I don't know. When I think of redneck,

0:18:55 > 0:18:59I do think of, like, out in the boondocks,

0:18:59 > 0:19:04you know, probably not no water to wash your hands, kind of thing,

0:19:04 > 0:19:07but it's not... That's not how we mean it when we say it around here.

0:19:10 > 0:19:12- You're shooting low.- I know.

0:19:12 > 0:19:15Trying to hold it up.

0:19:15 > 0:19:18- Drop your arm a little. - We only put two in?

0:19:18 > 0:19:20Here in Crystal Springs, a lot of people go hunting.

0:19:20 > 0:19:22A lot of people like to deer hunt

0:19:22 > 0:19:25and do any kind of hunting there is, really.

0:19:27 > 0:19:28Now put you another one in the chamber.

0:19:28 > 0:19:30Now you can have four shots.

0:19:30 > 0:19:32You're ready to shoot.

0:19:40 > 0:19:43I'm the managing attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Centre

0:19:43 > 0:19:47in Mississippi and we're an organisation

0:19:47 > 0:19:49that seeks to stop hate.

0:19:50 > 0:19:53People called me and said, "Have you heard of this hate crime?

0:19:53 > 0:19:56"Have you heard that a man was killed just because he was black?"

0:19:59 > 0:20:02African American community was outraged.

0:20:02 > 0:20:06The investigation was incomplete by the local police,

0:20:06 > 0:20:09and the district attorney didn't have enough evidence to move forward.

0:20:09 > 0:20:12Only one person will be held accountable,

0:20:12 > 0:20:17and I personally was not satisfied with that.

0:20:17 > 0:20:20I know there's something more here. The evidence supports it.

0:20:20 > 0:20:23What more can we do?

0:20:23 > 0:20:26We wanted to make sure we were in that community and we could find out

0:20:26 > 0:20:31from people who were most affected what had happened.

0:20:31 > 0:20:35Hired a private investigator, and he went out to Rankin County,

0:20:35 > 0:20:38the communities where all of the individuals

0:20:38 > 0:20:41involved in the hate crime lived.

0:20:44 > 0:20:49A middle-aged white male, who we picked purposely,

0:20:49 > 0:20:53because we knew that he would be able to go into circles that,

0:20:53 > 0:20:58frankly, I could not blend in with, because of the colour of my skin.

0:21:00 > 0:21:06Our investigator was able to learn this was not an isolated event.

0:21:06 > 0:21:10This was multiple events, and multiple trips to Jackson.

0:21:11 > 0:21:14A certain group of them would go out with the plan of hurting somebody

0:21:14 > 0:21:16who was black.

0:21:18 > 0:21:20They would consider themselves hunting.

0:21:20 > 0:21:22Sometimes it was homeless people,

0:21:22 > 0:21:25sometimes it was just somebody walking by themselves -

0:21:25 > 0:21:28similar to James Craig Anderson.

0:21:28 > 0:21:30This had been going on for quite some time,

0:21:30 > 0:21:33but the death was the first time this thing gone public.

0:21:35 > 0:21:39This was a culture of individuals who gathered to routinely do this,

0:21:39 > 0:21:42just as Klansmen did just 50 years ago,

0:21:42 > 0:21:45when they would get together and terrorise black churches.

0:21:49 > 0:21:53We shared everything we learned from our case with the FBI.

0:21:54 > 0:21:57The beginning stages of fire will be shot two-handed.

0:21:58 > 0:22:00When the targets face, draw and fire three rounds.

0:22:00 > 0:22:03Three rounds. Shooter ready?

0:22:03 > 0:22:06Shooter's ready.

0:22:06 > 0:22:07GUNSHOTS

0:22:18 > 0:22:21When targets face, draw and fire four rounds in eight seconds.

0:22:21 > 0:22:23Four rounds in eight seconds, reload and holster.

0:22:23 > 0:22:26Shooter ready? Shooter's ready.

0:22:29 > 0:22:31GUNSHOTS

0:22:39 > 0:22:43Our agents realise that this work is critically important.

0:22:43 > 0:22:47It's a huge reason of why we exist as an organisation,

0:22:47 > 0:22:49to ensure civil rights are protected,

0:22:49 > 0:22:53and, quite honestly, why the Jackson division of the FBI was formed,

0:22:53 > 0:22:57because of what was happening during the '60s.

0:22:57 > 0:22:59We had seen potentially more evidence

0:22:59 > 0:23:03that this was a racially motivated crime.

0:23:03 > 0:23:08The FBI was requested to initiate a formal investigation.

0:23:11 > 0:23:14We interviewed over 250 people.

0:23:16 > 0:23:22We used a grand jury, grand jury subpoena, to obtain information.

0:23:22 > 0:23:26We heavily exploited social media to reveal the content of what happened

0:23:26 > 0:23:29as people were talking about events.

0:23:29 > 0:23:33The pictures seemed to come together...

0:23:33 > 0:23:37to show this was not just one or a single...

0:23:37 > 0:23:41carload of individuals, but that more folks were involved.

0:23:43 > 0:23:46This was more than an isolated incident.

0:23:46 > 0:23:49At least on one occasion,

0:23:49 > 0:23:54an African-American on the side of the road was struck,

0:23:54 > 0:23:58using beer bottles and metal ball bearings fired out of a slingshot.

0:23:58 > 0:24:01You have an individual who, while at a gas station,

0:24:01 > 0:24:02they ran a car at him.

0:24:02 > 0:24:06Witnesses' statements, if he hadn't have moved,

0:24:06 > 0:24:08they would have hit him with a car at that time.

0:24:09 > 0:24:13Prior incidents of folks being attacked, viciously attacked,

0:24:13 > 0:24:15at a golf course...

0:24:19 > 0:24:21..as a pattern.

0:24:29 > 0:24:35So it was here in Rankin County that a group of several dozen youth got

0:24:35 > 0:24:39together, as kids often would, for a party, but out of that party,

0:24:39 > 0:24:42stemmed the plan,

0:24:42 > 0:24:45as on previous occasions, to go into Jackson.

0:24:47 > 0:24:50Several of the kids, Sarah specifically,

0:24:50 > 0:24:54who identified by others as being kind of that driving force, like,

0:24:54 > 0:24:57"Let's go, let's go."

0:24:57 > 0:25:01Multiple, multiple times, to the point where some of the

0:25:01 > 0:25:06individuals felt annoyed and chose to move away from her that night.

0:25:06 > 0:25:11I think what that does is that shows that the individuals

0:25:11 > 0:25:16that decided to get in and travel and go down that night...

0:25:16 > 0:25:19may have not have had a specific plan to kill anybody,

0:25:19 > 0:25:22but they definitely knew why they were making that trip.

0:25:31 > 0:25:35So, the FBI interviewed Sarah Graves,

0:25:35 > 0:25:38and she lied about her role and her knowledge that night.

0:25:42 > 0:25:44Me and Taylor were in the pool swimming,

0:25:44 > 0:25:48and these real nice black Dodge looking...

0:25:51 > 0:25:54..Dodge 300s pulled up.

0:26:00 > 0:26:02I remembered Taylor and I started coming outside

0:26:02 > 0:26:06and they told us, "Y'all can't be out here."

0:26:06 > 0:26:11She was in her room and we told her the feds wanted to talk to her.

0:26:11 > 0:26:15And then after about 30 minutes of talking,

0:26:15 > 0:26:19this one here looked at Sarah and he said, "You're lying."

0:26:19 > 0:26:21I looked at her and said, "Sarah, are you telling the truth?

0:26:21 > 0:26:25"Look at Mama. Are you telling the truth?"

0:26:25 > 0:26:27And she started crying.

0:26:27 > 0:26:30She said, "Mama,

0:26:30 > 0:26:33"I did tell the truth, but I went one other time."

0:26:33 > 0:26:36Yes, she'd been twice.

0:26:36 > 0:26:40I don't think she wanted to admit it with her mama sitting there.

0:26:40 > 0:26:42That she'd been there twice.

0:26:42 > 0:26:45And I was like, "Why didn't you just do that to start with, Sarah?"

0:26:45 > 0:26:47"Because I didn't want you to be ashamed of me, Mama.

0:26:47 > 0:26:49"I didn't want to shame you."

0:26:53 > 0:26:57After they came, it's just like day and night.

0:26:58 > 0:27:01Everything just went black.

0:27:05 > 0:27:07Every time we go to a bonfire or we go to,

0:27:07 > 0:27:09any time we go anywhere, really,

0:27:09 > 0:27:11like if I'm around a lot of people, somehow,

0:27:11 > 0:27:14we all get brought up on Sarah conversation.

0:27:15 > 0:27:17She had her whole life going.

0:27:17 > 0:27:20She had everything that she wanted.

0:27:20 > 0:27:22She finally found a guy that she really...

0:27:22 > 0:27:25that really cared about her and who she really cared about.

0:27:25 > 0:27:27Had a good job, and then it just all got, you know,

0:27:27 > 0:27:29taken from her.

0:27:36 > 0:27:38LAUGHTER

0:27:51 > 0:27:55Sarah Adelia Graves and Shelblie Brooke Richards were riding in the

0:27:55 > 0:27:57truck that ran over Anderson.

0:27:57 > 0:27:59Four more people now face federal charges

0:27:59 > 0:28:00for hate crimes stemming from...

0:28:00 > 0:28:03Yesterday, Deryl Dedmon, John Rice and Dylan Butler

0:28:03 > 0:28:08pleaded guilty to hate crime and conspiracy charges in federal court.

0:28:08 > 0:28:10That's five down, five to go.

0:28:20 > 0:28:26There's something about a case like this that sits with you for a while.

0:28:26 > 0:28:30Because you see that there are still people who

0:28:30 > 0:28:33have depraved intents.

0:28:36 > 0:28:40They came to a place that they named Jafrica.

0:28:43 > 0:28:47The combination of Jackson, Mississippi and Africa.

0:28:54 > 0:28:57He would be somebody they would attack,

0:28:57 > 0:29:00because he is just out here hanging on the corner.

0:29:00 > 0:29:03They were looking for people had too much to drink.

0:29:03 > 0:29:07They were just looking for stragglers who were by themselves,

0:29:07 > 0:29:09in fact. They didn't know who they might be assaulting.

0:29:09 > 0:29:12They just knew they saw some people walking alone.

0:29:13 > 0:29:16I mean, I could've been out here walking.

0:29:19 > 0:29:21SHOUTING

0:29:24 > 0:29:27You all want to go join the party?

0:29:27 > 0:29:30We're going over to my old neighbourhood.

0:29:30 > 0:29:32This was called the North End,

0:29:32 > 0:29:36and the North End was considered to be...

0:29:36 > 0:29:37the roughest...

0:29:37 > 0:29:41one of the roughest, if not the roughest part of Jackson.

0:29:41 > 0:29:44And I grew up down here,

0:29:44 > 0:29:48so I was accustomed to all of this that was going on down here.

0:29:50 > 0:29:53My father was killed by five other persons

0:29:53 > 0:29:57with whom he had entered an argument.

0:29:57 > 0:30:00He was shot five different times.

0:30:00 > 0:30:03We watched him take his last breaths.

0:30:03 > 0:30:07The school I went to, my first grade was segregated, all the way up.

0:30:08 > 0:30:12The racists said that if there was such a commingling,

0:30:12 > 0:30:16then the black blood would contaminate the white blood.

0:30:19 > 0:30:21We were held to be inferior.

0:30:22 > 0:30:28We were held to be thieves and monsters,

0:30:28 > 0:30:30and potential rapists.

0:30:32 > 0:30:35Many times, I saw gangs of whites in cars,

0:30:35 > 0:30:39driving through black neighbourhoods,

0:30:39 > 0:30:41throwing bottles.

0:30:41 > 0:30:45It was not unusual to find somebody dead on the street,

0:30:45 > 0:30:48and so much has changed since then.

0:30:48 > 0:30:54But, still, there are significant pockets of racists who wish to...

0:30:54 > 0:30:58who wish for the old days,

0:30:58 > 0:31:03who wish that integration had never happened in Mississippi,

0:31:03 > 0:31:06who want to turn that clock back.

0:31:09 > 0:31:13Sarah, she can't make the excuse that I was in the wrong place,

0:31:13 > 0:31:17wrong time. She was in the place she wanted to be,

0:31:17 > 0:31:21the time she wanted to be, to be the person she wanted to be.

0:31:21 > 0:31:23She just didn't want to get caught.

0:31:25 > 0:31:27They don't want to acknowledge they're racists,

0:31:27 > 0:31:30but yet they have racist thoughts and do racist deeds.

0:31:30 > 0:31:33You know, we have that saying, if it walks like a duck,

0:31:33 > 0:31:36quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it's a duck.

0:31:39 > 0:31:42You're a kid, you don't worry about things, though.

0:31:42 > 0:31:45- This red one would be cute. - Is this shirt cute?- Beautiful.

0:31:45 > 0:31:50Yeah, match something with your Converse, because those are cute.

0:31:50 > 0:31:53This one's Sarah and this one's Shelbie.

0:31:53 > 0:31:55"You're still the best friend I will ever have.

0:31:55 > 0:31:58"Love her, miss this, fun."

0:31:58 > 0:32:00If she was racist, she wouldn't be friends with black people.

0:32:00 > 0:32:02Like, she wouldn't even want to talk to them.

0:32:02 > 0:32:05She would be, like, you know, anti with them, you know, but she's not.

0:32:05 > 0:32:07- Right.- She literally...

0:32:07 > 0:32:09- You know Jasper.- I know, I know.

0:32:09 > 0:32:10And Cameron. And Cameron.

0:32:10 > 0:32:13But that's her friend,

0:32:13 > 0:32:16I can't remember his name. I thought that was Jasper, but I'm not sure.

0:32:16 > 0:32:18And that's my cousin Aaron and then Sarah.

0:32:18 > 0:32:21That's her personal trainer that when she worked at the barbershop.

0:32:21 > 0:32:23- He's black.- Yeah.

0:32:23 > 0:32:25I mean, why would she put something on Instagram saying that, I mean,

0:32:25 > 0:32:28- if she didn't like black people? - Exactly.- Right.

0:32:28 > 0:32:30- I mean, that's just dumb. - That's proof right there.

0:32:30 > 0:32:33Nobody around here is raised like that any more,

0:32:33 > 0:32:37but they hold that from the past and you can't,

0:32:37 > 0:32:40you have to let go of the past. You've got to look for the future.

0:32:40 > 0:32:43If you stay in the past, you're going to live in the past.

0:32:43 > 0:32:46That's Rocky Falls. That's where we always go swimming.

0:32:46 > 0:32:49They took their case so far beyond, like,

0:32:49 > 0:32:51they exaggerated so much on that.

0:32:51 > 0:32:54And, like, I mean, they didn't see it how it really went.

0:32:56 > 0:32:58I don't know. I just don't think that it was...

0:32:58 > 0:33:01- Fair.- ..fair.- The judge didn't give her a chance,

0:33:01 > 0:33:04because the judge didn't care, because the judge had already made

0:33:04 > 0:33:07- up his mind before he even went to that trial.- Yeah.

0:33:21 > 0:33:24This was a very difficult case for me.

0:33:26 > 0:33:29When I sat across the table from her the first time,

0:33:29 > 0:33:32I could have been sitting across the table from my daughter.

0:33:32 > 0:33:33My daughter was that age.

0:33:33 > 0:33:36My daughter looked a little bit like Sarah.

0:33:36 > 0:33:38- Hey, Laura. - HE LAUGHS

0:33:38 > 0:33:40It's an adversarial system.

0:33:40 > 0:33:44I mean, they are supposed to look at the facts in the light most

0:33:44 > 0:33:47favourable to their theory.

0:33:47 > 0:33:51And I'm supposed to do exactly the opposite.

0:33:51 > 0:33:55I think her role was very limited,

0:33:55 > 0:34:00but this would have been a difficult case to try in front of a jury,

0:34:00 > 0:34:06because Sarah was present in the vehicle that ran over Mr Anderson.

0:34:06 > 0:34:10Sarah goes to trial on her case, and loses in front of a jury,

0:34:10 > 0:34:13and she could spend the rest of her life in prison.

0:34:13 > 0:34:19They agreed to allow her to plead guilty to a conspiracy crime.

0:34:19 > 0:34:24The guideline range might have caused her to serve...

0:34:24 > 0:34:2712, 15 years.

0:34:27 > 0:34:29The judge, when he took the guilty plea,

0:34:29 > 0:34:32was limited to the five-year maximum sentence.

0:34:40 > 0:34:44I have asked myself so many times, "why were you so afraid?

0:34:44 > 0:34:47"Why were you so stupid? Why would you drink so much?"

0:34:48 > 0:34:50And I still, to this day, have no answer for myself.

0:34:52 > 0:34:56I would give anything to go back and fix that night.

0:34:56 > 0:34:59I do want to say I'm not a racist, nor will I ever be.

0:34:59 > 0:35:02We are all God's children and we all bleed red.

0:35:03 > 0:35:06- VOICE BREAKING:- I am so sorry for your loss.

0:35:14 > 0:35:17Near the very end of the case,

0:35:17 > 0:35:22her friend Shelbie made a statement that we had never heard before,

0:35:22 > 0:35:27that Sarah had encouraged Dedmon's actions.

0:35:30 > 0:35:35It's almost right here, the initial assault takes place.

0:35:35 > 0:35:40Mr Anderson was struck in the face, unprovoked, knocked to the ground.

0:35:40 > 0:35:44Someone yelled out white power, raised fist in the air.

0:35:45 > 0:35:49Shelbie and Sarah began to taunt Dedmon,

0:35:49 > 0:35:53encouraging him to strike Mr Anderson.

0:35:54 > 0:35:56Dedmon actually runs over him.

0:35:58 > 0:36:01That while Dedmon stepped on the pedal,

0:36:01 > 0:36:03drove a vehicle over Mr Anderson...

0:36:04 > 0:36:08..he did so with the full encouragement, support

0:36:08 > 0:36:11and enticing of those two girls,

0:36:11 > 0:36:14Shelbie and Sarah, who were in the vehicle with him.

0:36:17 > 0:36:21I felt confident in being able to prove

0:36:21 > 0:36:25that Sarah did not tell Dedmon to run over Anderson.

0:36:27 > 0:36:32The other witnesses tried to, late in the game,

0:36:32 > 0:36:36say incriminating things about Sarah, in order to help themselves.

0:36:40 > 0:36:43When Dedmon drove the truck...

0:36:43 > 0:36:46..and ran over Anderson,

0:36:46 > 0:36:51one might say he had to be the leader.

0:36:51 > 0:36:52But on the other hand,

0:36:52 > 0:36:56the evidence said that there were two girls in the truck,

0:36:56 > 0:37:00and they encouraged him to run over Anderson.

0:37:01 > 0:37:04So the question is, but for their encouragement,

0:37:04 > 0:37:06would he have run over Anderson?

0:37:11 > 0:37:14What makes a racist?

0:37:14 > 0:37:18What makes a racist? Influences, surroundings, environment.

0:37:20 > 0:37:23I called the mother to the stand.

0:37:23 > 0:37:27She had no idea I was going to call her to testify as a witness.

0:37:27 > 0:37:30I was so nervous and I didn't want to say the wrong thing,

0:37:30 > 0:37:34because I didn't know she'd get in more trouble.

0:37:34 > 0:37:38I questioned her about her racial views,

0:37:38 > 0:37:41and how is it that her daughter could end up

0:37:41 > 0:37:44with this posse of villains.

0:37:51 > 0:37:52Is the defence's mother here?

0:37:52 > 0:37:55Is Miss Graves's mother here? Would she please come forward?

0:37:55 > 0:37:58OK, so you need one egg.

0:37:58 > 0:38:02- OK.- And one and a half cups of butter.

0:38:02 > 0:38:06Butter or oil? Butter? OK.

0:38:06 > 0:38:09Whenever he was asking about Sarah's education, you know,

0:38:09 > 0:38:13why did I put her in an all-white school?

0:38:13 > 0:38:17I said, "It wasn't an all-white school, it was a Christian academy."

0:38:17 > 0:38:20It'll probably be better if you hold it over the bowl.

0:38:23 > 0:38:25I have some questions for you.

0:38:25 > 0:38:29You made a comment here that your daughter's not a racist,

0:38:29 > 0:38:31that she was not raised that way.

0:38:31 > 0:38:32No, sir, she was not.

0:38:34 > 0:38:35That's a comment...

0:38:37 > 0:38:39..that would seem to question some of the things

0:38:39 > 0:38:41you put in your letter.

0:38:41 > 0:38:44Your daughter wrote a statement, it was a really terrible statement.

0:38:46 > 0:38:50And it was taken as being racial.

0:38:50 > 0:38:55And it said that my daughter had wrote and said something that,

0:38:55 > 0:38:58I made a comment that we don't live like niggers.

0:38:58 > 0:39:01Niggers to us means nasty, negro means black.

0:39:01 > 0:39:05So... And that's just what I said, you know.

0:39:05 > 0:39:08I heard it when I was growing up.

0:39:08 > 0:39:11And my mom didn't mean nothing racial about it,

0:39:11 > 0:39:13I didn't mean nothing racial about it,

0:39:13 > 0:39:16but he took it into context and made it racial.

0:39:17 > 0:39:22I don't know why it's so much about race, on Sarah's behalf, honestly,

0:39:22 > 0:39:24because Sarah's not racist.

0:39:24 > 0:39:25That's just the way I feel about it.

0:39:27 > 0:39:29I raised my kids right.

0:39:31 > 0:39:33The judge was rude!

0:39:38 > 0:39:41I watched Momma squirm.

0:39:41 > 0:39:44And I had set her up that way, just to see what would happen.

0:39:47 > 0:39:52Graves vows that her mother often told her and her brother

0:39:52 > 0:39:58they were, quote, "Living like niggers", unquote,

0:39:58 > 0:39:59when they didn't clean their rooms.

0:40:04 > 0:40:07Did you know that your daughter made a comment like that?

0:40:29 > 0:40:31I don't like the way that he put my family out there

0:40:31 > 0:40:35and made it seem like we were just all these monsters, and we're not.

0:40:35 > 0:40:38He treated my mom like she was a killer or something.

0:40:38 > 0:40:40My mom wasn't even there.

0:40:40 > 0:40:43He knows what nigger means in the dictionary,

0:40:43 > 0:40:46and if anybody uses their brain and actually thinks about it,

0:40:46 > 0:40:51they all know what nigger means. It does not mean a black person.

0:40:51 > 0:40:54She meant it literally as, your room's a mess.

0:40:54 > 0:40:57Not, you live like a black person.

0:40:57 > 0:40:59The history of Mississippi and all the slavery

0:40:59 > 0:41:03and all that kind of stuff does have a big, big thing to do

0:41:03 > 0:41:05with the case that she has right now.

0:41:06 > 0:41:11A lot of the blacks around these times now...

0:41:12 > 0:41:15..they live in the past,

0:41:15 > 0:41:18it's something that their ancestors and their family

0:41:18 > 0:41:21from years and years and years ago had to go through.

0:41:21 > 0:41:24Nobody is trying to, you know,

0:41:24 > 0:41:28slave anybody the way it was back then.

0:41:28 > 0:41:30And it's just, like, they can't let it go.

0:41:30 > 0:41:32They can't just move on from it.

0:41:32 > 0:41:34Martin Luther King fixed all that stuff.

0:41:37 > 0:41:39I do think a little bit of it had to do with racism,

0:41:39 > 0:41:43because, you know, the people that he was in front of,

0:41:43 > 0:41:46the people that were in front of him were white.

0:41:46 > 0:41:50And the people that got hurt and on the other side were the blacks.

0:42:00 > 0:42:03I think a lot of people felt the judge was racist.

0:42:03 > 0:42:08Just by the way he picked on things I've said.

0:42:09 > 0:42:12I didn't know if you call it racism or you just call it being unfair

0:42:12 > 0:42:15and just not giving a shit.

0:42:15 > 0:42:16I don't think he cared about him,

0:42:16 > 0:42:19I think he just wanted him to go to prison and be done with it.

0:42:20 > 0:42:24And I think he should be taken off the bench, honestly,

0:42:24 > 0:42:25because I don't think he's fair.

0:42:27 > 0:42:30I was having to deal with a black judge

0:42:30 > 0:42:35who was showing racial hatred towards white defendants.

0:42:35 > 0:42:36He was being a racist.

0:42:38 > 0:42:41Everybody's racist.

0:42:41 > 0:42:42I'm convinced of that.

0:42:44 > 0:42:47Sometimes they know it, sometimes they don't know it.

0:42:49 > 0:42:55If it had been personal, I would have felt compelled to recuse.

0:42:55 > 0:42:59Because then, that aspect of the crime,

0:42:59 > 0:43:03might have some effect upon the sentencing.

0:43:03 > 0:43:05And I certainly wouldn't want to do that.

0:43:05 > 0:43:08I want to be as impartial as possible.

0:43:10 > 0:43:13Miss Graves?

0:43:13 > 0:43:19If the prosecution had known upfront

0:43:19 > 0:43:22that you had encouraged Dedmon to run over Anderson,

0:43:22 > 0:43:25you would have been in jeopardy

0:43:25 > 0:43:29of a sentence of life without parole.

0:43:40 > 0:43:42I don't understand it.

0:43:42 > 0:43:44If a white kills a black it's...

0:43:45 > 0:43:48..racist, hate crime,

0:43:48 > 0:43:52but what's the difference between a black kid and a white person?

0:43:52 > 0:43:55It's just murder.

0:43:55 > 0:44:01They don't have no racist when it comes to a black killing a white.

0:44:01 > 0:44:02That's not right.

0:44:04 > 0:44:06At least, I don't feel like it's right.

0:44:06 > 0:44:08Maybe I'm just getting old.

0:44:17 > 0:44:19I feel like the whites are getting lazy

0:44:19 > 0:44:21and the blacks are getting more educated,

0:44:21 > 0:44:26because the government pays for the blacks to go to school.

0:44:27 > 0:44:31Everywhere you look, they're the ones who's running business

0:44:31 > 0:44:34and stuff like that, not the whites.

0:44:34 > 0:44:37It's like it's done a turnaround.

0:44:37 > 0:44:40Most stores you go into,

0:44:40 > 0:44:46the managers and CEOs and all that, they're all blacks, not whites.

0:44:46 > 0:44:50They're the more or less, what do you call it, common labourer.

0:44:50 > 0:44:53They work for them now.

0:44:53 > 0:44:54And when I was growing up,

0:44:54 > 0:44:58it was the whites that were the CEOs or presidents

0:44:58 > 0:45:01and stuff of business, and the blacks worked for them.

0:45:01 > 0:45:04Now it's just completely reversed.

0:45:04 > 0:45:06And you see it every day.

0:45:11 > 0:45:13Hey, Mawmaw.

0:45:14 > 0:45:16What's wrong?

0:45:17 > 0:45:20No-one comes here a racist.

0:45:20 > 0:45:24We all come here, as they say in philosophy, a tabula rasa.

0:45:24 > 0:45:27We come here with a clean chart,

0:45:27 > 0:45:32to be written on by the influences in our lives.

0:45:34 > 0:45:36You should stop crying, she'll be OK.

0:45:36 > 0:45:37I know, darling.

0:45:37 > 0:45:43Mawmaw just gets upset every now and then when she thinks about Sarah.

0:45:43 > 0:45:44Well, don't think about her.

0:45:47 > 0:45:49I know who Sarah is.

0:45:49 > 0:45:53And I know that... And I know that none of this...

0:45:54 > 0:45:57She's not like the way they're putting her out there,

0:45:57 > 0:45:59she's not anything like it.

0:45:59 > 0:46:01The media can say what they want to say,

0:46:01 > 0:46:03but they don't know her like I do.

0:46:21 > 0:46:24I go to Jackson all the time. But not that part.

0:46:28 > 0:46:30This is the bad part of Jackson.

0:46:30 > 0:46:32It's very dangerous. I hate being here.

0:46:34 > 0:46:38People get shot around here and hurt and robbed.

0:46:38 > 0:46:41There's lots of drug dealers and stuff round here.

0:46:41 > 0:46:45The roads are awful, nobody can drive.

0:46:45 > 0:46:47Creepy, everything looks creepy.

0:46:52 > 0:46:55So, why was your sister here?

0:46:57 > 0:46:58She wasn't driving.

0:47:01 > 0:47:03They took her here.

0:47:04 > 0:47:06This is the hotel.

0:47:08 > 0:47:12This is where it happened, right on this kerb, right here.

0:47:12 > 0:47:15I know one thing - she tried to get in the driver's seat and leave -

0:47:15 > 0:47:18and when she was going over the back seat to get in the driver's seat

0:47:18 > 0:47:21to leave, like, the same, like, not to be here...

0:47:23 > 0:47:26..Deryl Dedmon got back in the driver's seat and took out,

0:47:26 > 0:47:29and when he took out, that guy was, like, trying to wave him back down,

0:47:29 > 0:47:31and got out the truck and hit him.

0:47:31 > 0:47:34I don't know whether he... I think he hit him on purpose,

0:47:34 > 0:47:36but I'm not too positive about it.

0:47:36 > 0:47:38But I do wish that Sarah would have got in that truck

0:47:38 > 0:47:41like she was going to do and just leave that dude here.

0:47:41 > 0:47:45She should have just left that dude here for him to be dealt with,

0:47:45 > 0:47:47and possibly that man wouldn't have died.

0:47:50 > 0:47:52I don't like not having an exit.

0:47:52 > 0:47:55I don't like not being able to get out if I need to.

0:47:55 > 0:47:57I feel trapped.

0:47:58 > 0:48:00I really don't want to do this.

0:48:00 > 0:48:02Can we go?

0:48:03 > 0:48:05Oh, my God, there's that guy.

0:48:05 > 0:48:07Why would he want me to stop?

0:48:07 > 0:48:10Honestly. What does he have to do with me?

0:48:10 > 0:48:12A cigarette? I'm not giving him one.

0:48:12 > 0:48:14That dude is cracked out.

0:48:14 > 0:48:16That's why I do not come here.

0:48:16 > 0:48:18SHE SIGHS

0:48:18 > 0:48:22My heart is racing right now, I'm just freaking the fuck out.

0:48:22 > 0:48:25Does it feel bad, being here, does it feel awkward?

0:48:25 > 0:48:27Yeah.

0:48:28 > 0:48:31I just want to know why the fuck my sister was here.

0:48:31 > 0:48:34That's what I want to know. I want to know why they were here.

0:48:34 > 0:48:35Why would you come here?

0:48:35 > 0:48:36In this place.

0:48:38 > 0:48:40Like...

0:48:40 > 0:48:42Who the hell would want to come here? Honestly?

0:48:42 > 0:48:44This just looks so dangerous.

0:49:02 > 0:49:03DOG BARKS

0:49:03 > 0:49:05Hush!

0:49:08 > 0:49:10- RECORDED MESSAGE:- This call is being recorded

0:49:10 > 0:49:12and is subject to monitoring.

0:49:12 > 0:49:13- Hello.- Hello.

0:49:15 > 0:49:17How are you?

0:49:17 > 0:49:20Quit looking at me like that!

0:49:20 > 0:49:22- I'm sorry!- Can you speak like normal?

0:49:22 > 0:49:24I am!

0:49:24 > 0:49:25- You're not!- I am.

0:49:25 > 0:49:27I'm just...

0:49:27 > 0:49:32Anyway, I pretty much just want to talk to you about, like,

0:49:32 > 0:49:34how everything happened, and stuff.

0:49:34 > 0:49:38Um, why did y'all go to Jackson?

0:49:58 > 0:50:01So, you didn't know that he was in Jackson to hurt just black people,

0:50:01 > 0:50:02did you?

0:50:14 > 0:50:16And they called it Jafrica?

0:50:18 > 0:50:20It's OK.

0:50:54 > 0:50:55But you didn't.

0:51:02 > 0:51:05Well, you shouldn't feel like that, Sarah,

0:51:05 > 0:51:07because you weren't the one driving,

0:51:07 > 0:51:10and Deryl took that man's life, not you.

0:51:10 > 0:51:13Not anybody else but Deryl.

0:51:13 > 0:51:15God knows that. That's all that matters.

0:51:30 > 0:51:33Is there anything you want me to ask Judge Wingate?

0:51:33 > 0:51:36I wanted to take your pictures, but I wanted to put names on them,

0:51:36 > 0:51:38to where I would know who they are.

0:51:38 > 0:51:42Some of them I know. This is Latosha, I know Barbie.

0:51:42 > 0:51:45Who's the black girl that you took, like, three pictures with?

0:51:45 > 0:51:47Y'all doing a little kissy.

0:51:47 > 0:51:49Oh, that's Paris.

0:51:49 > 0:51:51- Paris?- Yeah, her real name's Sheena.

0:51:51 > 0:51:53OK.

0:51:55 > 0:51:57There's no way she could be racist.

0:51:57 > 0:52:00I want to show him these pictures of her friends.

0:52:00 > 0:52:01Half of them are black.

0:52:01 > 0:52:04You know, Judge Wingate, if she's racist,

0:52:04 > 0:52:07then why isn't she showing it in prison?

0:52:18 > 0:52:21I'm just picking out her roommates.

0:52:21 > 0:52:22That's her roommate.

0:52:22 > 0:52:24Hello. How are you doing? Good to see you.

0:52:24 > 0:52:27- This is our granddaughter Taylor. We raise her.- Hello, granddaughter.

0:52:27 > 0:52:29- Hey.- How are you doing?

0:52:29 > 0:52:33- Good.- You know how to open up court? Say, "All rise."

0:52:33 > 0:52:35All rise.

0:52:35 > 0:52:38No, no, no. Say it with some meaning. Say, "All rise!"

0:52:38 > 0:52:42- All rise.- You're doing great. Now see, that's all you had to do.

0:52:42 > 0:52:44Please, y'all, have a seat. Have a seat.

0:52:44 > 0:52:47You had said that you had wanted to talk to me.

0:52:47 > 0:52:50- Yes, sir, I did.- All right.

0:52:50 > 0:52:53And I wanted you to come and talk to me, if you did.

0:52:53 > 0:52:56Yes, sir. I wanted to show you some pictures of her friends.

0:52:56 > 0:52:58Her roommate.

0:52:58 > 0:53:00Oh, this is a lovely picture.

0:53:11 > 0:53:13Now, what about these right here. Are those hers?

0:53:13 > 0:53:16Those are all the girls that were graduating and were her friends.

0:53:16 > 0:53:19- This is Miss Latosha. She's her roomie.- Mm-hm.

0:53:19 > 0:53:22And she looked over and she was like a mama to her.

0:53:22 > 0:53:24- If you don't want...- You say that she used to barber?

0:53:24 > 0:53:26- She is trained.- Mm-hm. She's trained to do that?

0:53:26 > 0:53:29She can cut anybody's hair. Her books are maxed out.

0:53:29 > 0:53:33I don't want to use a phrase because of racist, but I'm going to say it.

0:53:33 > 0:53:35- Mm-hm.- It's the blacks that are knocking her door down.

0:53:35 > 0:53:37- I can understand that. - Who fixed your hair?

0:53:37 > 0:53:39Who cut your hair?

0:53:39 > 0:53:42I know that the scenario in the courtroom was probably

0:53:42 > 0:53:46embarrassing to you. Do you want to talk about that at all?

0:53:46 > 0:53:48That we don't live like niggers?

0:53:48 > 0:53:50- That's right.- Yes sir, I'll talk about that.

0:53:50 > 0:53:53And...and...and...

0:53:53 > 0:53:55That wasn't a racial slur, by any means.

0:53:55 > 0:53:58- It wasn't?- It wasn't meant like that.

0:53:58 > 0:54:01I was told that negro means black,

0:54:01 > 0:54:02nigger means nasty.

0:54:02 > 0:54:04I didn't always say that phrase.

0:54:04 > 0:54:08- Lot of times I say... - But why that word?- I can't answer.

0:54:08 > 0:54:11But you know the gravity of words like that.

0:54:11 > 0:54:14- I do.- You know the kind of image... - And I know it was a mistake.

0:54:14 > 0:54:16..that it provides.

0:54:16 > 0:54:19I mean, when you did it, did anything grow, you know,

0:54:19 > 0:54:23sort of crawl across your mind and say, "I shouldn't have said that.

0:54:23 > 0:54:26"What effect is it having on my daughter?"

0:54:26 > 0:54:29I used anger when I did it, actually.

0:54:29 > 0:54:31- Well, still...- Because I was mad, because her room was dirty.

0:54:31 > 0:54:33But why THAT? You see?

0:54:33 > 0:54:35- Why that?- Because that's what I heard growing up, honestly.

0:54:35 > 0:54:38That's what I'm saying. So are we going to continue it?

0:54:38 > 0:54:40- No.- So we're cutting that off right now.

0:54:40 > 0:54:42- Yes, sir.- And so that's not happening any more.

0:54:42 > 0:54:44She's never heard me say it.

0:54:44 > 0:54:46That's right. Because that's my buddy.

0:54:46 > 0:54:50That's my buddy. I've got to get her a little robe and get her together.

0:54:50 > 0:54:55What do we do now to show that we are not being held hostage

0:54:55 > 0:54:59by any past biases or prejudices?

0:54:59 > 0:55:01Because it's going to be important,

0:55:01 > 0:55:04not just for your societal relationships,

0:55:04 > 0:55:07but my little judge right there.

0:55:07 > 0:55:10What are we going to do to ensure

0:55:10 > 0:55:14that she doesn't have not one iota

0:55:14 > 0:55:18of any such bias, intended or unintended?

0:55:21 > 0:55:22Thank you all so much.

0:55:22 > 0:55:24I really enjoyed talking to you all.

0:55:24 > 0:55:27I really did. I enjoyed talking to you.

0:55:32 > 0:55:34It's Geezy. She's called you eight times.

0:55:34 > 0:55:37- RECORDED MESSAGE:- This call is from a federal prison.

0:55:37 > 0:55:39We just walked out of the courthouse.

0:55:43 > 0:55:45Talking to the judge.

0:55:45 > 0:55:47And he's very nice, Sarah.

0:55:50 > 0:55:53Well, I am very happy, actually.

0:55:53 > 0:55:56But it didn't make me look very good as a mother...

0:55:56 > 0:55:58of a racist situation.

0:56:03 > 0:56:04I told him that.

0:56:04 > 0:56:08He wanted me to see the impact that it carried from me to you,

0:56:08 > 0:56:11and he didn't want to see it passed on to Taylor.

0:56:11 > 0:56:14I see where he is coming from and I said, "Yes, sir,

0:56:14 > 0:56:16"I was wrong and I'm sorry.

0:56:16 > 0:56:20"I'm truly sorry." And he appreciated that.

0:56:20 > 0:56:24But I do believe this is a positive thing tonight.

0:56:24 > 0:56:26I said we'll try and do better,

0:56:26 > 0:56:28you know, and...

0:56:28 > 0:56:32..we take responsibility for things we say and do,

0:56:32 > 0:56:35you know, even if it's 15 or 20 years down the road.

0:56:37 > 0:56:40You know? You have to set a good example,

0:56:40 > 0:56:43because if I wouldn't have said something to you like that,

0:56:43 > 0:56:45you would have never thought of saying it, Sarah.

0:56:45 > 0:56:48And my momma said it to me.

0:56:54 > 0:56:57I know I'm not the only person or parent that's said it, but...

0:57:00 > 0:57:03..unfortunately...I did say it.

0:57:05 > 0:57:08And it stuck in your head, and it hurts you.

0:57:38 > 0:57:40Hello, Craig, how are you doing?

0:57:41 > 0:57:44Well, Thanksgiving coming up.

0:57:47 > 0:57:49Another year without you.

0:57:53 > 0:57:55Get you a new flower arrangement.

0:57:57 > 0:57:58Get you one for Thanksgiving.

0:58:00 > 0:58:02Get you one for Christmas.

0:58:06 > 0:58:07You OK?

0:58:07 > 0:58:10Yeah, I'm good.

0:58:10 > 0:58:12Craig would be proud of you.

0:58:13 > 0:58:17Of all you accomplished, with Demeris,

0:58:17 > 0:58:21and, you know, just putting your life back together.

0:58:21 > 0:58:24Yeah. I think he would be, too.

0:58:24 > 0:58:28It takes a strong man to do that.

0:58:28 > 0:58:30Some time it's a lot,

0:58:30 > 0:58:31but...