Mississippi Jury Declined to Indict Carolyn Bryant Donham Due to a Lack of Evidence

A Mississippi jury declined to indict Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman whose accusations led to the lynching of Emmett Till.

Two white men kidnapped and murdered Till, who was 14, after claiming he whistled at her. Both men were acquitted.

Police did not serve an arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant Donham in 1955, saying they did not want to “bother” her.

Now a jury says there is insufficient evidence to charge her over the kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till — meaning it is unlikely she’ll be charged for his death.

The Justice Department closed a new investigation on the lynching of Emmett Till in 2021 — without bringing any charges.

The men that killed Emmett still were acquitted by an all-white jury. They later admitted to killing him in an interview, but could not be retried.

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Talia M.

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