1. James Byrd Jr. Murder Matt Girton & Mj Wilson

2. Names & Dates James Byrd was born on May 2, 1949 in Beaumont, Texas. Murdered on June 7, 1998 by three alleged white supremacists. Their names are Shawn Barry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King.

3. How it happened Byrd wanted a ride home from the three men in their truck. Instead of taking him home, they took Byrd to an open field and beat him severely. Afterwards they put a chain around his ankles and dragged him three miles down the road. Eventually Byrd who was alive and conscious through this collided with a stone culvert severing his right arm and head.

4. After the murder… After the death and mutilation of his James Byrd Jr., the three men dumped the body near an African American cemetery.

5. Where they are now Shawn Berry was given life in prison for the lack of evidence against him. The other two, Brewer and King, were sentenced to death. Brewer was executed on September 21, 2011. King is still on death row today.

6. Political impact On October 28, 2009 the Matthew Shepherd and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, President Obama signed this bill into law. James Byrd’s son Ross Byrd became an activist in speaking out against capital punishment. He worked to spare the lives of his father’s murderers.

7. Video http://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/a ction/yt/watch?videoId=WmdfjRG6CA4http://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/a ction/yt/watch?videoId=WmdfjRG6CA4