Racist Mississippi Murder Defendants Plead Guilty to Hate Crimes

5 months ago

Young men who ran over mechanic with pickup truck face life in prison

Two white Mississippi men charged with ruthlessly murdering a black mechanic last year have pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges on Tuesday, officials said. William Kirk Montgomery, 23, and Jonathan Kyle Gaskamp, 20, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy and federal hate crime charges for their roles in the assaults against African Americans in and around Jackson, Miss. Their campaign of harassment and assault culminated in the death of 49-year-old James Craig Anderson on June 26, 2011. Montgomery was linked to the attack on Anderson, who was badly beaten and then run over by a pickup truck. Gaskamp was linked to another racially motivated attack on blacks. Three other young white men previously entered guilty pleas in the case. Officials say the reign of racist terror began in the spring of 2011. The group of young men used beer bottle, slingshots and motor vehicles in their attacks. They would also brag about their exploits, federal prosecutors said. (Reuters)