James Craig Anderson Case Summary
James Craig Anderson was an African American male, in his late forties, who was murdered in what was classified as a hate crime. In Jackson, Mississippi on a Sunday morning, June 26, 2011, a group of white teenagers had been drinking all night and were on a mission, specifically seeking out a black person to cause harm to. James Anderson happened to be in a parking lot, near his car, when the group of teenagers pulled up and started to beat him while yelling racial slurs at him as well as yelling, “White power”. The teens then proceeded to hop in their truck and encouraged the driver to run over the victim, James Anderson, causing his immediate death. James Anderson was a well loved and respected member of his community, who attended church
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Deryl Dedmon Jr. pleaded guilty to capital murder and hate crime charges and was given two life sentences and will be serving a total of 55 years in prison. Anderson’s family asked that Dedmon not receive the death penalty. John Aaron Rice, another teenager involved was charged with simple assault and received an 18 year sentence. The third teenager, William Montgomery pleaded guilty in the death of Anderson and received a 19 ½ year prison sentence. Two other men who were not present the night of the Anderson murder but involved in previous hate crimes were Joseph Paul Dominick and Jonathan Kyle Gaskamp. They each pleaded guilty to hate crimes and received a 4 year prison sentence. The remaining offenders pleaded guilty to hate crime charges or conspiracy to commit a hate crime. Most of them would receive 4-5 years in prison. Some of the other hate crimes the 10 defendants have been involved in and have also pleaded guilty to include the beating of a black man who was a drug dealer that the teenagers set up, also they beat another black man near a Jackson golf course. They unsuccessfully attempted to run down another black man and also would drive by black pedestrians and either throw bottles at them or use a slingshot while yelling obscenities and racial
Deryl Dedmon Jr. pleaded guilty to capital murder and hate crime charges and was given two life sentences and will be serving a total of 55 years in prison. Anderson’s family asked that Dedmon not receive the death penalty. John Aaron Rice, another teenager involved was charged with simple assault and received an 18 year sentence. The third teenager, William Montgomery pleaded guilty in the death of Anderson and received a 19 ½ year prison sentence. Two other men who were not present the night of the Anderson murder but involved in previous hate crimes were Joseph Paul Dominick and Jonathan Kyle Gaskamp. They each pleaded guilty to hate crimes and received a 4 year prison sentence. The remaining offenders pleaded guilty to hate crime charges or conspiracy to commit a hate crime. Most of them would receive 4-5 years in prison. Some of the other hate crimes the 10 defendants have been involved in and have also pleaded guilty to include the beating of a black man who was a drug dealer that the teenagers set up, also they beat another black man near a Jackson golf course. They unsuccessfully attempted to run down another black man and also would drive by black pedestrians and either throw bottles at them or use a slingshot while yelling obscenities and racial