Not a Reenactment

Yesterday C-Span carried chunks of the 2005 trial Mississippi v. Edgar Ray Killen. I have watched some of these broadcasts. They were fascinating.

Killen is on trial for the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Killen was not at the scene of the killings. The prosecution's theory is that Killen was the mastermind of the plot to kill the civil rights workers. The defense theory is that though Killen may have been at a Klan meeting where the "elimination" of the civil rights workers was discussed, Killen was a "loudmouth" and not a ringleader.

Despite changing times, there were many references to religion. Of course, that was partly -- but only partly -- because Killen himself was a preacher.

Last night's news reports said that the jurors had reported that they were evenly divided, 6-6, on guilt or innocence. Jury deliberations resume today.