US releases Emmett Till death investigation records ahead of 70th anniversary of Chicago teen's killing
Share and Follow

WASHINGTON — Just days ahead of the 70th anniversary of his killing, the federal government made public thousands of pages of records Friday on the lynching of Emmett Till.

The records in the National Archives, released by the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, detail how the Justice Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights responded to the 1955 killing of 14-year-old Till. The records were released in accordance with the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018.

“Our thoughts are with the Till family,” the National Archives and Records Administration said in a news release.

The Chicago teenager was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman at a grocery store in rural Mississippi. Four days later, Till was abducted from a great-uncle’s home in the predawn hours by Roy Bryant and John William “J. W.” Milam. The white men tortured and killed Till in a barn in a neighboring county, and his body was later found in the Tallahatchie River.

Bryant and Milam were charged with murder in Till’s death but were acquitted by an all-white-male jury. Bryant and Milam later confessed to a reporter that they kidnapped and killed Till.

His killing galvanized the Civil Rights Movement after Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, insisted on an open casket so that the country could see the brutality. In 2022, President Joe Biden signed a bill named for Till that made lynching a federal hate crime. And in 2023, Biden signed a proclamation establishing a national monument honoring Till and his mother.

Many of the records have never been seen by the public. They include reports, telegrams, case files and correspondences and documents from the NAACP, the White House, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, among others.

The records can be viewed in the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection on the National Archives and Records Administration website.

A member of the Till family did not immediately return a request for comment.

Copyright © 2025 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Newsom says he'll weigh White House bid after 2026 midterms

Live Update: California Files Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over SNAP Suspension

California, alongside several other states, has initiated legal action against the Trump…
BLM NYC leader compares himself to MLK Jr upon surrendering to police on charge he assaulted a Black man

BLM NYC Leader Channels MLK Jr Amidst Allegations of Assault on Black Man

On Monday, the head of the Black Lives Matter chapter in New…
Bill Gates pivots climate strategy to focus on poverty over carbon emissions reduction

Bill Gates Shifts Climate Focus: Tackling Poverty as a Key to Reducing Carbon Emissions

Bill Gates is advocating for a strategic pivot in addressing climate change,…
New treatment destroys 90% of skin cancer cells in just 30 minutes

Innovative Therapy Eradicates 90% of Skin Cancer Cells in Just 30 Minutes

Scientists have unveiled a revolutionary light therapy capable of destroying cancer cells…
Woodfield Mall fire: Navy Sailor William Thompson helps rescue man from burning car at Macy's store parking garage in Schaumburg

Heroic Navy Sailor Saves Man from Fiery Car at Woodfield Mall Parking Garage

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) — A brave Navy Sailor was among those who…
Trial set for 6 Nevada Republican electors accused of forgery

Forgery Charges Loom: Nevada Republican Electors Face Trial Over 2020 Election Allegations

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Six Republican electors from Nevada are set to…
How 'strange, slow' Hurricane Melissa became such a monster

Unraveling the Enigma: How Hurricane Melissa Evolved from ‘Strange and Slow’ to a Formidable Force

The fierce winds of a Category 5 hurricane have already descended upon…

Family Stranded in Jamaica After Wedding as Hurricane Melissa Intensifies

AUSTIN (KXAN) Just days after exchanging vows in a picturesque ceremony, John…