Cecil Price - Murders

Murders

On the afternoon of June 21, 1964, Price stopped a blue Ford CORE station wagon on Mississippi Highway 19 for allegedly speeding inside the Philadelphia city limits. Inside the station wagon were three civil rights workers James Chaney, who was driving, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner.

Price arrested the three workers, allegedly for suspicion of having been involved in a church arson, and locked them in the county jail. During this time he denied their requests for a phone call and instructed that anyone who called looking for them should be told that the three men were not there. At some time during that afternoon, Price met with his fellow Klansmen to work out the details of the planned evening release and executions.

Price released the three following Chaney's payment of the speeding fine and followed them in his patrol car. At 10:25, Price sped to catch up with the station wagon before it crossed the border into the relative safety of Lauderdale County. Price ordered the three out of their car and into his. He then drove them to a deserted area on Rock Cut Road while being followed by two cars filled with other Klansmen. He then turned them over to fellow Klanmen who committed the beating of James Chaney and subsequent murder of the three men. Price returned to Philadelphia and resumed his duties as deputy while the bodies were being buried at an earthen dam that was under construction.

Following a lead the bodies of the three missing men were located at the dam site on August 4, 1964. Price was invited by FBI Inspector Sullivan to assist in the recovery efforts of the bodies. Sullivan suspected Price of being involved and wished to observe his reactions. FBI agent John Proctor stated that "Price picked up a shovel and dug right in, and gave no indication whatsoever that any of it bothered him." Price also helped escort the three bodies to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson where the autopsies were performed.