JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
JACKSON, MS (WLBT) - Three white Brandon men have admitted guilt in the racially motivated murder of an African American Jackson man.
Deryl Dedmon, 19, John Rice, 19, and Dylan Butler, 20, all pleaded guilty to Federal hate crime and conspiracy charges, in the death of James Craig Anderson.
Anderson was beaten then killed after being run over, in front of the Metro Inn in Jackson last summer.
"The swift and certain investigation however of the Jackson Police Department and especially the FBI shows we will not tolerate these kinds of acts in Mississippi," said U.S. Attorney John Dowdy.
Prosecutors say the group targeted homeless or drunk African Americans in Jackson, hitting them with beer bottles, shooting them with a sling shot, and physically assaulting them for three months leading up the Anderson murder.
"This is really a case about a group of racist thugs who made a sport of targeting vulnerable African Americans in Jackson and attacking without provocation, simply because of the color of skin," said Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez after the hearing.
In some cases they even used their vehicle, the same way they killed Anderson.
The federal case states Rice and Dedmon recruited their other white friends to partake in their activities, all of which they lied to investigators about.
All involved, could be charged in the future.
"This is a continuing investigation and we do expect that there will be additional charges brought in connection with this crime," Dowdy said.
Dedmon, pleaded guilty to murder charges in Hinds County Wednesday and has already received two life sentences for the Anderson killing.
Dedmon, Rice and Butler all face up to life in prison on the federal hate crime charges.
Their sentencing hearing has been set for June 8.
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