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 took place 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.

In this episode of "Zone 7," Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with clinical therapist Janice Duncan as they dive deep into the chilling Moore's Ford Lynching case. Together they explore the psychological impact of lynching on the Black community. They also discuss their emotional experiences at the crime scene, including a tense encounter with a truck, and the significance of the evidence found.

The duo also reveals their interactions with a former imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, shedding light on the complex historical context of the case.

 

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum. Sheryl recounts her Bonnie and Clyde death car experience and its impact on her investigative career.
• [1:20] Sheryl highlights similarities between the Bonnie and Clyde case and the Moore's Ford Lynching
• [7:06] Sherly welcomes guest Janice Duncan to the listeners 
• [8:05] Sheryl and Janice delve into the details of the Moore's Ford Bridge lynching
• [9:56] Janice reflects on the emotional experience of visiting the lynching crime scene
• [14:10] They discuss meeting with the former imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan
• [15:55] Question: What was the turning point for you other than meeting with Johnny Lee Cleary?
• [19:39] Janice shares the moving story of former Klan member Johnny Lee Cleary.
• [22:02] The conversation shifts to understanding Cleary's violent childhood and coping mechanisms
• [26:24] Cleary's actions, such as burning a black church to stop voter registration, are discussed
• [27:10] Reverend Watts' belief in Cleary's potential for change is highlighted
• [29:47] Janice shares how humor has helped her cope with the challenges of her career
• [30:00] A tense encounter with a truck during the investigation is recounted
• [32:20] Sheryl and Janice discuss the significance of evidence found in the Moore's Ford Bridge case
• [33:02] The emotional impact of finding evidence at the crime scene is reflected upon
• [37:02] How hands-on experience changed the students who helped in the investigation at the crime scene
• [39:15] “This crime got the attention of a college student, you know, a Morehouse man, a 17-year-old who took the time to write a letter to the Atlanta Constitution. Because he was mad about the immortality of this racism. And the letter clearly showed that he had a passion for social justice. The letter was signed very simply, ML King Jr. So you college students here, with Cheryl and Janice, can do something. You have done something.” -TB
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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, a forensic and crime scene expert for “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,” and a CSI for a metro-area Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook, “Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.”

McCollum 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. They come 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 McCollum’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org

Social Links:

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

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