Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era

Mitchell, Jerry

ISBN 10: 1451645139 / ISBN 13: 9781451645132

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2020

About this Item

THERE IS A BLACK "CLOSEOUT/REMAINDER" MARK ON THE BOTTOM PAGE EDGES. On June 21, 1964, more than twenty Klansmen murdered three civil rights workers. The killings, in what became known as the Mississippi Burning case, were among the most brazen acts of violence during the civil rights movement. Even though the killers' identities were an open secret, no one was charged with murder in the months and years that followed. It would take forty-one years before the mastermind was brought to trial and convicted for the three innocent lives he stole. In all those years, if there is one person who made justice possible, it is investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell. In Race Against Time, Mitchell takes readers into the pulse-pounding investigation that reopened four of the most infamous cold cases of the civil rights movement: the assassination of Medgar Evers, the fatal firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham that killed four girls, and the Mississippi Burning murders. Mitchell devoted his career as an investigative reporter to these cases, and his work helped send four notorious Klansmen to prison, decades aft they had gotten away with murder. Mitchell captures every twist and turn of these cases, delivering an astonishing nonfiction thriller. He reveals how he unearthed secret documents, discovered long-lost suspects, and even ventured into the lion's den, meeting one-on-one with the murderers themselves. Race Against Time is the inside story of a historic race for justice. A landmark book by a legendary reporter, it is essential reading for all Americans. THERE IS A BLACK "CLOSEOUT/REMAINDER" MARK ON THE BOTTOM PAGES AND THE BACK FLAP OF THE DUSTWRAPPER IS CREASED. Simon & Schuster, Hardcover, 1st Edition, 1st Printing, 2020.

Seller Inventory # 002664

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication Date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1451645139
• ISBN 13: 9781451645132
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New
• Dust Jacket Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

“For almost two decades, investigative journalist Jerry Mitchell doggedly pursued the Klansmen responsible for some of the most notorious murders of the civil rights movement. This book is his amazing story. Thanks to him, and to courageous prosecutors, witnesses, and FBI agents, justice finally prevailed.” —John Grisham, author of The Guardians

On June 21, 1964, more than twenty Klansmen murdered three civil rights workers. The killings, in what would become known as the “Mississippi Burning” case, were among the most brazen acts of violence during the civil rights movement. And even though the killers’ identities, including the sheriff’s deputy, were an open secret, no one was charged with murder in the months and years that followed.

It took forty-one years before the mastermind was brought to trial and finally convicted for the three innocent lives he took. If there is one man who helped pave the way for justice, it is investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell.

In Race Against Time, Mitchell takes readers on the twisting, pulse-racing road that led to the reopening of four of the most infamous killings from the days of the civil rights movement, decades after the fact. His work played a central role in bringing killers to justice for the assassination of Medgar Evers, the firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham and the Mississippi Burning case. Mitchell reveals how he unearthed secret documents, found long-lost suspects and witnesses, building up evidence strong enough to take on the Klan. He takes us into every harrowing scene along the way, as when Mitchell goes into the lion’s den, meeting one-on-one with the very murderers he is seeking to catch. His efforts have put four leading Klansmen behind bars, years after they thought they had gotten away with murder.

Race Against Time is an astonishing, courageous story capturing a historic race for justice, as the past is uncovered, clue by clue, and long-ignored evils are brought into the light. This is a landmark book and essential reading for all Americans.

About the Author

Jerry Mitchell has been a reporter in Mississippi since 1986. A winner of more than 30 national awards, Mitchell is the founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting. The nonprofit is continuing his work of exposing injustices and raising up a new generation of investigative reporters.