The Moore's Ford lynchings, or the 1946 Georgia lynching, refer to the brutal murders of four young African Americans by a mob of white men on July 25, 1946. The incident occurred near Moore's Ford Bridge in Walton and Oconee counties, Georgia. The victims were two married couples: George W. and Mae Murray Dorsey, and Roger and Dorothy Malcolm. The case attracted national attention, prompting large protests in Washington, D.C., and New York City. President Harry Truman created the President's Committee on Civil Rights and introduced anti-lynching legislation in Congress, but it was blocked by the Southern Democratic bloc. The FBI investigated the case in 1946 but could not find sufficient evidence to charge anyone. The cold case was reopened in the 1990s, but the state of Georgia and the FBI closed their cases in December 2017 without any prosecution.

This episode features Sheryl McCollum, a cold case investigator, and Laura Wexler, author of "Fire in a Canebrake," discussing the Moores Ford Lynching in Georgia. Together, they explore the legacy of racial violence, the power of storytelling, and the challenges of investigating historical cases. Laura recounts her journey of unearthing the dark corners of America's past, hoping to shine a light on forgotten stories and victims.

 

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum. Sheryl shares a  life-changing interaction with her first-grade teacher, Ms. Williams
• [1:00] Ms. Williams' impact on Sheryl's early education, fostering respect and kindness
• [2:30] Sherly welcomes guest, Laura Wexler, author of Fire in a Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America to the listeners 
• [5:00] Laura shares a bit of her background to the listeners
• [5:55] Discovery of the Moores Ford Lynching and the formation of the Moores Ford Memorial Committee.
• [7:37] The power of storytelling and the importance of balanced narratives
• [8:26] Question: How did you come up with the title: Fire in the Canebrake? 
• [8:45] The story behind the title Fire in a Canebrake
• [11:37] Question: What were your thoughts after talking with the two living suspects? 
• [13:01] The challenges in cracking the case due to loyalty among suspects
• [16:10] Discussion on the fear instilled by the FBI investigation
• [19:30] Question: What do you think some of the most compelling evidence is in this case?
• [25:58] Unpacking a haunting photo connected to the case
• [27:33] “If not for your book, We would not have the documentation that we do on this case, and I think it's an important case. I think it's one of those, not just for historical purposes, but again for people to understand the times. 1946 is not that long ago.”
• [27:50] Laura's initial hope to solve the case and her disappointment
• [29:55] Sheryl's students learn valuable life lessons from the case
• [32:18] “I do what I wanna do and when I wanna do it every day” -Ms. Williams's advice on staying young and vibrant 
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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.  

You can connect and learn more about Sheryl’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org

Social Links:

• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
• Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum

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