Atty. Ben Crump Urges Federal Probe into Shocking Discovery of 215 Bodies Behind Mississippi Jail
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is demanding a federal investigation following the alarming revelation of 215 bodies buried in a cemetery behind a Mississippi jail. The Chicago Crusader brought attention to the discovery in a pauper’s cemetery behind the Hinds County Penal Farm in Mississippi, prompting Crump to seek answers from the authorities.
Crump, joined by Reverend Hosea Hines, senior pastor of Christ Tabernacle Church and national leader of A New Day Coalition for Equity and Black America, is questioning why officials failed to investigate the deaths and why families were never contacted about their loved ones.
During a news conference in December, Crump expressed his concerns, stating, “People all across America are scratching their heads in disbelief about what’s happening in Jackson, Mississippi, with this pauper’s graveyard.” The issue has escalated, shifting from concerns about non-existent or contaminated water to the disturbing discovery of the graveyard.
Reverend Hines, in a recent interview, remarked on the shocking lapses in the handling of the situation. “It’s unfortunate that we are living in a world that is college-educated and super sophisticated as it relates to telecommunications and IT. The amount of mistakes that were made, as to individual families not being notified about the deaths, is really unbelievable.”
Hines also criticized Joseph Wade, chief of the Jackson Police Department, for permitting the burials without proper notification to families. He acknowledged that certain measures, like a new death notification policy, had been instituted by Wade to address such issues.
The situation came to public attention when, in December, the family of Jonathan David Hankins, 39, discovered his death through news outlets instead of local authorities. Hankins became the third victim to be buried without family notification, adding to the growing concern.
Speaking to NBC News, Gretchen Hankins, Jonathan’s mother, conveyed the emotional trauma she has experienced since the ordeal began. “I want people to know that somebody is not doing their job and making folks go through what I’ve been through,” she said, expressing frustration over the lack of proper notification for her son’s death.
The case also involved Marrio Moore, who was buried in the same field after being beaten to death and found wrapped in a tarp in February. Moore’s family only discovered his burial eight months after he was killed.
Crump has accused the authorities of neglect and emphasized that families deserved to be informed of their loved ones’ deaths with dignity. The call for a federal investigation aims to address the concerning lapses in handling these tragic situations and seek justice for the affected families.
