All language subtitles for Jasper.Texas.2003.PROPER.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG

[singer] ♪ What a friend ♪

♪ We have in Jesus ♪

♪ All our sins ♪

♪ And grief's to bear ♪

♪ What a privilege ♪

♪ To carry ♪

♪ Everything ♪

♪ To God in prayer ♪

[Kathy] Billy?

Billy?

Billy, over?

This is Billy.

[Kathy] Yeah, Billy we're sorry
to ruin your day off,

but we got a bad hit and run.

You better come on back.

Okay, coming at ya.

Sorry ol' clubs.

Official business.

[siren wailing]

♪ Everything to God in prayer ♪

[Mary] I miss Ricky
going to church with us.

They're grown.
Can go where they want to.

♪ Is there trouble anywhere ♪

Hmm, I miss 'em too.

Mm-hmm.

You know the only reason
they made you mayor.

-Why?
-Is 'cause you so handsome.

-Oh.
-Mm-hmm.

Is that it?

And here I was trying
to figure out why.

Chin up.

[siren wailing]

How bad is this hit and run?

I don't know Billy.
I only been down here.

Victim in the hospital?

The body's up the road a piece.

Near the church, they say.

Look at that track.

Something damaged
in the vehicle.

Leak or a bent tire rubbing.

Take us right
to the guy's house.

Piece of cake.

See ya in a bit.

Even though I miss the kids,
it's nice to have the house

to ourselves sometime,
you know?

So we can, uh--

No-no-no, huh-uh.

R.C., we can't keep God waiting.

Woman, I been waiting on you.
Come on.

[laughs]

So baby, about dinner.

Ricky's coming around four.

We gonna eat 'round five,
so if you wanna help cook,

-come early.
-Mm-hmm.

And can I go home
and change after church?

Yes, you can do
whatever you want.

You a grown woman.

Got to go.

Official business.

See ya at the house later.

How you think it happened?

First, I thought
that when he got hit

he got caught up
under the vehicle--

Mm-hmm.

--that's how come these tracks
in the road.

His body?

May even be worse than that.

He had these gouge marks
on his ankles.

When I come back here
where the tracks started and...

-Mm-hm.
-...then down off onto

that logging road there,

and looked like a scene
of a scuffle.

[man groaning]

What-what are you saying, Billy?

He may have been dragged.

[R.C.] Let's see,
that's about uh...

three miles up to that church.

Are you saying that his body
was dumped up there?

Looks that way to me.

Damn.

You know who it was?

We found a wallet.

Checking the fingerprints now.

[dramatic music playing]

Still no answer.

Yeah, that's 'cause
he on his way over.

Here, put the greens out
on the table.

Okay.

-[Claire] Hi, Daddy.
-Hi, baby.

Hey.

Hey Mama.

-Look at you.
-Mama.

-Have you heard the news?
-Where's your brother?

Parking just as I walked up.

Terrible what we been hearing.

You know,
Son ain't answering the phone.

Probably hung over.

Hey Pop.

-My boy.
-How ya doin'?

-Damn good, and you?
-I'm alright, I'm alright.

-You hungry?
-You know that.

Hey baby, how ya doin'?

-Hey Ma.
-[Stella] Hi darling.

You hear they beheaded
a Black man last night?

It passed
through your church, too?

Mm, stopped the sermon.

Now Reverend Lyons
told all the young men

not to go out alone for now.

I think it was revenge.

-For that thing last week.
-[Thurman] Mm-hm.

[Claire] Black man shoots
his White boss

and somebody's head
gets cut off.

[James] C'mon it all
ain't nothin' but rumor yet.

[Stella] Well...

y'all wanna eat,
or wait for Son?

-No, I'm ready to eat now.
-No, I ain't waiting.

[knocks on door]

Oh, wait, there he is.

I'm-I'm tired
of waiting for him.

Can I have the bread, please?

[James] Playing his foolishness.

Mama, better fix him a plate
'cause you know

he's gonna be hungry.

Son--

Sheriff Rowles.

May-may I come in?

Yeah, yeah, come on in.

Just eatin' but--

Oh.

Afternoon, y'all.

You arrest Son again?

No, ma'am.

I'm afraid I have some bad news.

[clears throat]

I don't know
any easy way to say this.

Your son, James Junior,
was killed.

[James] What-
what happened, Sheriff?

We don't know all the details.

But we have reason to believe
he may have been murdered.

Oh, daddy. Oh, daddy.

Oh, no, God.

I give you my solemn promise
that I will not sleep

until we find out who did this.

[dramatic music playing]

I think we should
all pray together.

All right?

Let's hold hands.

Cigarette butts, baseball cap.

Nutdriver.

Nutdriver with S.B.
engraved in it,

and lighter,

lighter with Possum
on the bottom side

and some weird triangle
on the top.

S.B. think about it now.

S.B.

S.B. and Possum.
Sam Brown.

[Billy] Stu Bullock.

Son of a bitch must be
eighty years old.

I doubt it.

But good thinking.
Listen, we're thinking.

-That's the main thing.
-[Sgt. Carter] Billy...

we got something.

Y'all need to hear this.

This here's Steven Scott.

Go on and tell the sheriff
what you told me.

Go on now, you can tell him.

Steven, is it?

Yes, sir.

Well, Steven, go 'head tell me.
What you got?

Around one in the morning

I saw James Byrd walking,
hitching.

Then these men in a truck
picked him up.

[deputy] And you just happened
to be there then, boy

Charlie, will you shut
your mouth?

Steven don't pay n
o attention to him.

Did you see who it was?

They were White.

What about the truck, Steven?

-What about that truck?
-[Sgt Carter] What color was it?

It's okay.

Light, or white, or tan,
or somethin'.

Stepside.

Mufflers were loud.

Well, you done good, Steven,
to come here

and I wanna thank you for it.

Anything else you think about,
you get in touch

with Sergeant Carter here, okay?

You take him in,
get a little statement

and have him sign it.

You got it.

Thank you, Steven.

That's the first
good lead we got.

That's a hell of a lead.

It's just too easy.
I don't trust it.

What, you don't think
it could be a white man?

Okay we got something
to go with now.

What y'all working on
in here?

Take a look.

S.B. engraved on it.

What the heck
is this symbol, here? SGT.

Shawn Berry.

He got hisself
a gray primered pickup.

That could look light enough.

Now here's a man
who is thinking on the job.

Too bad I promoted you.

Yeah, you could do it again.

Don't push it.

Okay.

Shawn Berry lives
with Bill King, don't he?

That's right.

Bill King calls hisself
Possum sometimes.

-Has them tattoos.
-Yeah.

This here is a uh,
Klu Klux Klan deal.

Forget about the triangle.

This is three K's
with their ends joined together.

I think we got us
some trouble here.

Tell all units
to pick up Shawn Berry.

This is it now. Here we go.

[Mary] Why don't ya go on over
and visit the Byrds and...

we'll all wait 'til you get back

R.C., he'll be here any minute.

[R.C.] I know. I know that.

You know he probably
just stopped to get Mom

some flowers.

-[R.C.] Right.
-[chuckles]

[R.C.] You know uh...

word is folks are buying guns
for their protection

and they're gonna patrol
this side of town.

Lord knows
what that's gonna provoke.

Go on over to the Byrds'.

Boy's gonna be here any minute.

It don't help if you
keep saying that.

You think
you the only one worried?

Daddy, it's gonna be all right.

[Ricky] Something smell good.

-What's wrong?
-Where you been, boy?

-I had me a car trouble.
-And did you forget

your manners?

When you're late, you call.

You hear me?

-Do you hear me!
-I hear ya.

I hear ya.

[ominous music playing]

[James] Now we ain't never
gonna figure out why.

That's for the police
and the courts.

And why God chose for this
to happen

we ain't never gonna know.

We just gotta trust
and obey him.

Now ain't that right?

-[Claire] Oh, mama.
-Amen, amen.

[James] Amen.

Amen.

Y'all.

If ever you need anything,
please don't hesitate to--

-Uh, R.C.
-[R.C.] Mm?

Now sheriff look me
in my eye...

-Mm-hm.
-...told me he was gonna get

who did it. But--

Oh, I-- I hear ya.
Now, I'm gonna be on top of it.

Don't worry about it.

Y'hear?

Well, it's a lot of talk about
guns and revenge.

We don't want
no more violence, R.C.

-Me neither.
-We just want you to try

to keep the peace
no matter what.

I'll do it.

R.C.

Got to make some, uh,
some plans for at the funeral.

Will you take care of the body,

carry him on over
to your parlor?

You should be the one to do it.

He about growed up
with your kids.

[sobs]

Shh.

[dramatic music playing]

All right.

Shh. I'll take care of it.

[indistinct chatter]

How y'all doin'?

[laughter]

Need to talk about some things.

What things?

Why don't y'all come on down
to the station?

You don't want us to question
you here right

-in front your friends, now.
-[man] We don't care.

[man] Yeah, go 'head.

[clears throat]

Dispatch.

Well, we can sit here
and wait for this paperwork

or you can just come along.

[woman] This is Dispatch.

Your choice.

[woman] Officer,
do you need assistance?

Come in, Officer?

We ain't got no reason not to.

Cancel that.

[woman] We copy.

[man] We'll wait here.

Yeah, keep your beer
cold for ya.

[commentator] Lead down to one,
here they come the other way.

[Walter] I mean
did they know him?

Why'd they do it?
They're sticking to their story.

They were just out
driving last night.

[Walter] You know, folks
are saying they were,

uh, they found a note
on 'em talkin' about, uh,

one down, two to go.

Don't know nothin' about that.

Billy said when he finds out,
he'll let me know.

And you're sure
there's just the three of 'em.

I don't know nothing Walter.

Billy just wants me to help
reassure the people

that suspects are in custody.

And are you reassured R.C.?

Is Billy up to solving this?

And what happens if he isn't?

Walter...

you're real good on questions.

How you fixed
for answers tonight?

Huh? Mr. Social Activist?
Huh?

I'm sorry.

A'right.

Now they're questioning them
and they're gonna concentrate

on this, uh, boy Berry.

He seems to be the weakest link.

Now I hate to be rude,
but I gotta go to the--

the mortuary.

-Oh, you got James' um--
-Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

[Walter] Oh, that's all right.
I got to get home myself.

Ruth says she's scared, so...

[Billy] Follow my lead.

[Guy James]
It's your show, Billy.

You know who I am?

-You're the D.A.?
-Well, the sheriff the D.A.,

they don't come down here
in the middle of the night,

unless it's awful
serious bad trouble.

Shawn Berry,
look at me straight in the eye.

You're so scared
you can't even breathe.

And you got a good reason, too.

You got a damn good reason.
You know why?

Because we know.

We know.

We know, man.

We know the story, we know--
We know what happened.

Now let me share something
with you, son.

We ain't got a case
on them other two.

We got no case.

But we know they were there.

But we got
that Black guy's blood

on your truck,
and we got your tools

at the crime scene
and right now

you are facing
a capital murder charge.

You got that?

Let that just sit
with you awhile.

Capital murder.

And we know son,
that you ain't like

those other two guys.
We know that.

I mean look at you.
You can't even breathe.

But it's gonna be your ass!
It's your ass, son.

[Guy James] Now
if there's any deals to be made,

first person to talk
usually gets the best treatment.

-That right, Billy?
-[Billy] That's right.

Now you had best think
about that.

You tell us
from the beginning, Shawn.

We was driving.

[Shawn] Wait.

-What deal do I get?
-That's all you got to say?

That's the only thing you got
to say to save your ass?

Son, you are up
for a capital murder charge.

You know what that means?

You wanna try this again or not?

Now that's a little smarter.

Tell me
from the beginning, Shawn.

[Shawn] We was driving. [sniffs]

[car engine revving]

[Shawn] We picked up
a hitchhiker.

-Y'all going into town?
-[man] Yeah, man,

we're heading into town.

-Mind if I hop in?
-[man] Sure, why don't you hop

-on the back.
-Alright.

We stopped by ol' Huff Creek.

-Want a beer, man?
-[James Jr.] Yeah.

[man] Alright.

King, Brewer.

[ominous music playing]

[man] Hey man, you want me
to open that for you?

Yeah.

They said
they was just gonna whup him

and scare him.

-[glass shatters]
-[man] Fuck, yeah!

-[laughing]
-[man] Hell yeah!

[James Jr. groans]

[man] How 'bout that
there nigger, huh?

[man] Beat the motherfucker up
man, hit him.

It's the other guys
that started it.

I tried to leave
when they started

that other stuff.

[James Jr. groans]

[Shawn] The other guys
had started anyway.

[James Jr. screaming]

-[man] He looks bout played out.
-[man] Yeah,

guess he's tired.

-[man] Go, get the chain.
-[man] Right on.

[Shawn] Don't touch me, nigger!
Get off!

[Shawn] They started
chaining him to the truck

and I said I didn't think
it was such a good idea.

[man] Hold that
motherfucker still, will ya?

[man] Hey boss,
we'd all set up here.

[man] Alright, alright,
let's get going.

-[man] Ready?
-[man] Yeah, let's go.

[James Jr. screaming]

[car engine starts]

[Shawn]
And then we started driving

and next thing I knew,
I looked back,

he was not there.

Look we just wanted
to fuck with some nigger.

Just got outta hand, is all.

That's a start.

[Billy] One of these days
you're gonna wake up

in such pain,
'cause of what you done.

[door opens]

[R.C.] Let us
have this room, boy.

[man] Yes, sir.

-Come to you.
-Mm-hm.

-Instead of calling ya.
-Yeah.

-We got us a confession.
-Oh, yeah?

It was just them three

and it was racially motivated.

Anything going on between them
and James?

Just a random victim.

I don't know
what a hate crime is.

I mean, exactly
the strict legal wording,

but I think
that's what we got here.

We picked a hell of a time
to get elected, didn't we?

How many, uh,
murders you work on?

Just that one last week
and now this one.

Just two, huh?

Right.

We don't work no murders
in the Highway Patrol.

I called the F.B.I.
down in Beaumont and I told 'em,

I said, "This country boy
needs some help."

Well, I'm gonna send this body
down there,

get me some expert autopsy.

I'm going down there
first thing tomorrow.

They're sending agents up here.

This ain't gonna fall on us,
Mr. Mayor.

The Feds is takin'
this one over.

They damn well better.

[dramatic music playing]

[camera shutter clicks]

[Mike Lout] Good morning Jasper

K.J.A.S. Radio bringing you
the latest updates.

The police have still not
released the names

of the three white men
being held in custody

for the death of James Byrd
last night.

Sources inside
the Sheriff's Department

refuse to confirm
or deny racism as a possible

motive for his death.

They do confirm however
that no charges have been laid,

pending further investigation.

Sports and weather up next
after this classic

from 1975.

Kathy?

I'm almost to the office.

Get ready for a surprise.

-[Billy] What kind?
-Uh--

[Billy] Oh, shit.

Sheriff, Sheriff,
can you make a comment

on what these men
are being charged with, sir?

Sheriff, Sheriff,
are these three men

in the Klan, sir?

[Billy] I can't make a comment
on anything at this time.

Sir, do you believe
that there are more

suspects around, sir?

I just gotta get
to my office right now.

So, uh, Mr. Mayor,
is Huff Creek Road,

is that in the town
or in the county?

It's-- It's the county.
It sits right on the edge

of the city.

What that got to do
with what happened there down

-down the road?
-Now, is that maintained

using federal funds?

I don't rightly know.
You're gonna have to ask

the City Manager about that.

[Bradford] City Manager.
And how do I get hold of him?

Excuse me?

-Kathy, messages?
-[Kathy] Whole bunch.

-More to come.
-Ooh.

Sheriff, Don Clark,
F.B.I. Houston.

Hey, Don.
Good to see ya.

You're gonna have to hold
a press conference.

Oh, no, this is your deal now.
Not mine.

No, we're just up here to help
process the evidence.

I just come from your office
in Beaumont.

Until jurisdiction
is established, your--

This is a civil rights
violation.

It's onto you guys.

Good to see ya, Don.

He's over there at City Hall.
That's where all the

-all the City Managers are at.
-All right, so, uh,

-his number will--
-Wait a minute.

What does that have to do
with what happened

-down the road down there?
-The Attorney General's Office

doesn't think there're enough
facts yet for it to fall

-under Hate Crime Law.
-What kind of facts they need?

-Mr. Mayor, Don Clark, F.B.I.
-[Billy] I mean

the man was killed
'cause of his color, wasn't he?

Just 'cause he was Black.

It's plain and simple.
You heard that son of a bitch.

We went to fuck with an N.

There's no other reason,
and that's why...

-it belongs to the F.B.I.
-Not necessarily.

-Not necessarily?
-Still has to be

sorted out, Billy.

In the meantime
you need a press conference.

Who's your media person?

Look around.

I'm just a little bitty outfit.

Well, I brought my media
guy with me.

And based on the facts so far
he's drawn up

a standard statement.

All you have to do is read it.

And avoid specific answers.

Just say, no comment,
that sort of thing.

A full spectrum
of law enforcement agencies

on both the local
and federal level are involved

in this investigation
which will be exhaustive

and thorough.

But at this juncture
it would be premature

to speculate beyond
the he-inus--heinous nature

of the crime
as we understand it

at this point.

Well, you know,
given our employment rate,

we should be getting, you know,
more Section Eight

housing funds.

Excuse me, Walter.

I think you better turn on
K.J.A.S.

Okay, thank you.

Uh, well, I appreciate
your sympathy, but I would, uh,

prefer housing funds.

[Billy]
Other than murder--

[Walter] Yeah, well,
how long's that gonna take?

[Billy] No determination
has been made

-concerning this issue which--
-Wait. Is that Billy Rowles?

--may be brought against
the accused pending

further investigation
of their possible,

uh, connection
to extremist movements.

-That's it.
-Sheriff, sheriff,

-was this a hate crime?
-[camera shutters]

-No comment.
-[woman] Sheriff,

was this racial?

We're looking into
all this deal.

This is a case
under investigation.

Is there Ku Klux Klan
in Jasper?

I'm not aware of any Klan...

[Thelma]
He's not telling the truth.

Yeah, well, thank you,
Thelma Davis.

[reporter]
Mayor, what about you?

Do you agree
with the sheriff?

Is there Klan here?

[R.C.] Uh, ain't seen any
as long as uh, I live here.

[Thelma] He always sides
with the White man.

He ain't nothin'
but a Uncle Tom.

That's it. That's all we got
to say for right now.

[all talking at once]

[Billy]
Don't pay 'em no mind, R.C.

[R.C.] Uh, easy to say.
Wasn't said to you.

[Clark] You did good.

[Guy James] Oh, bullshit.
That was terrible.

[Billy] Are you guys gonna
take this thing over or what?

[Clark sighs] We can't say yet.

[Billy] Sounds like no to me.

Then we gotta do this
regular folks way.

-And that starts with--
-Hey.

--talking regular
English language.

-[Walter] R.C., man.
-No one understood

-one word of this. Here.
-Yeah.

[Walter] You okay?

Comes with the job.

-Hey, Walter.
-Billy.

-Good to see ya.
-[Walter] How ya doin', man?

-Was you out there?
-No I heard it on the radio.

Oh, some shit storm,
I'll tell ya.

[R.C.] Listen up y'all.
This here is Walter Diggles

from the Deep East Texas
Council of Governments.

If we're gonna get stuck
with this,

we gotta generate
some good will.

-You bet.
-He's a city boy,

like some of you all.
Used to live in Dallas...

'til he moved back here.

R.C., you know
what I'm thinkin'?

I'm thinkin' that the uh--
we should just give

the Affidavit of Probable Cause
to all them reporters.

What we got to do
is get in touch

with The Ministers' Alliance.
Tell them what we know.

Yeah, it's important
that we're all united.

Uh, and I hope you don't mind
Billy but uh,

is it okay if, uh--
Agent Clark, is that right?

If uh, if he comes along?

Oh, hell, I think this thing
should be wide open.

Why ministers, Mr. Mayor?

Well, let me put it this way.

Got eight thousand people
and forty churches.

-That give you a hint?
-[chuckles]

[Billy] Stick around.
Get some religion.

-[chuckles]
-Real fast.

[screaming]

Well, you all know,
that's the forensics stuff.

Now you all know everything
that I know.

[clears throat] And that's why
I believe it's, uh,

should be open,
wide open between us.

Course we ain't gonna go to
the press with all this but--

-[whispering]
---shared responsibility.

Uh, Sheriff, uh [clears throat]
um, excuse me.

This is kind of hard
to say uh...

but before we can uh, uh,
do anything you ask

and how do we know
that those are all the facts?

Ain't I always been straight
with you?

[Clark] Gentlemen,
what the sheriff has told you

was all anyone knows right now.

[Reverend] Look here,
if you want us just to go along

and say there ain't
no problem here,

well, there ain't no sense
in having this meeting.

[Walter] Now there's a time
and place for everything now.

-Come on.
-Hold it now, hold it now.

It's time
to cool things down now.

Everybody gotta stick together.
You got to go back

to your congregation
and tell the folks

that the law is on the job.
Now don't do nothing foolish.

We all have got to stick
together here.

I uh, I agree with Mayor Horn.

[R.C.] All right,
now we're in a bind here, y'all.

Jasper is in trouble.

It could go up
just like Los Angeles.

You hear me?

I need your help.

A'right?

[Billy] Press time again, R.C.?

-You do it, man.
-Thank you.

Will the men be tried
here in Jasper?

Actually we don't know that yet.

We're gonna do
what's best for the case.

Are you representing
all the people of the town?

Y'all need to give these people
a chance, now.

You know, we know them.
They represent us, we live here.

It's too early
to make a judgment, you know?

I mean we got to give time

for the system to work.
That's all.

Or more time
to beat around the bush.

You know what, you need to be
a lot more respectful.

-Somebody just died here today.
-Walter, how much time?

-[reporter] Mayor Horn?
-[R.C.] Yeah?

[reporter]
Is Jasper a racist town?

[camera shutter clicks]

Now look y'all.

And what happened on Sunday,
and that was horrible,

but that was just three men.

That were not the whole town
of Jasper.

Now we got a lot
of Black officials in this town.

We got the mayor,
we got the City Council Member,

we got the School Board
Superintendent,

Hospital Administrator.

Now Blacks and Whites
get along here.

This is a town about
loving each other.

Like those men loved Mr. Byrd?

[dramatic music playing]

[birds chirping]

They're looking to crucify us.

They come down here
looking for rednecks

and they damn sure're
gonna find them, no matter what.

Now that's why we're gonna just
keep standing behind ya Billy,

-that's all.
-You guys know what would've

-made this crime federal?
-What?

If they'd left him
right on the church steps,

preventing folks
their right to worship.

But they left him a hundred
and seven feet from there.

They measured it.
Now how close,

how close'd it have to be?

-Hi Billy.
-[R.C.] Hey.

-[Billy] Hey buns.
-[Jamie] You two-timing me

with these fellas?
Y'all seeing him more than I do.

-[Walter] How ya doin', Jamie?
-How's things over in Orange?

Whole department's waiting
to help y'all.

-Appreciate that.
-We could use it, I guess.

[R.C.] Well, we better
leave you two alone.

-[Jamie] All right.
-Good night y'all.

-[Jamie] Good night.
-Hey, thanks.

-Thanks, guys.
-[R.C.] You're welcome.

-[sighs]
-How you really doing?

Can't be worse.

[crickets chirping]

You gotta be more careful
with the reporters, R.C.

You don't tell 'em everything's
under control if it ain't.

If you don't know something,
just say, I don't know.

But I'm the first to say that
I don't know what I'm doing,

which could be most of the time,
but I'm just a mortuary owner

who just got lucky
and became mayor.

I can't do what you do.

Everything we each built here
is riding on how this comes out.

Everybody's watching to see
what we do.

[Walter] Yeah.

That atrocity shocked
the conscience of the country

and a strong response
is clearly needed.

I ask for your thoughts
and your prayers

to be with the family
of Mr. Byrd today,

and with the people
of that community.

[all talking at once]

[reporter] Mrs. Byrd,

Mr. Byrd, what would you like
to see done to them?

That they be punished
for what they did.

Would you like them
to get the death penalty?

That's up to the law to decide.

But they killed your son.

Don't you feel hatred
towards them?

[James] We angry, yes.

But we don't hate 'em.
What good would it do?

No matter what the law decides,
this is a test of our faith.

We have to keep our faith
in God.

[reporter] Mr. Byrd, do you uh,
do you blame the town--

[Thurman] Hey you know what,
we answered enough

of your questions.
All right, we gotta go.

-Come on.
-[reporter] Mr. Byrd Jr....

[Thurman] Come on.
Excuse me, please.

[reporter] Mr. Byrd,
one more question?

I lived here my whole life.

Never feared walking
the streets.

[reporter] Mrs. Byrd, Mrs. Byrd,
would you--would you agree

with people who say that
things are tough

for uh, Blacks here in Jasper?

Things are tough
for folks all over.

[reporter] Mr. Byrd, how do you
feel about Jesse Jackson

and Al Sharpton and the others
coming to your son's funeral?

My son is dead.

I don't wanna see his funeral
turned into some kind of circus!

Move that truck right there,
all right, move it!

[Walter] Now you know I've been
talking to the governor's office

and-and all they're concerned
about as far as the funeral goes

is whether Mr. Gore
is gonna show up or not.

I don't care if Gore
shows up or not.

He can stay home.

But Mr. Bush cares.
And that's the only thing

gonna get him down here

or anybody out of his office
down here.

-We got us a little problem.
-What's that?

You ever met any Black Panthers?

Billy, not all Black folks
know each other.

[clears throat]
Well, they're coming in tomorrow

from Houston,
according to F.B.I.

They're planning on
patrolling the streets armed.

On the day of the funeral?

-Cup o' Joe, please.
-We gotta figure out

what the hell
we're gonna do about it.

I'll tell ya what,
I don't want no Panthers

running around here
with guns, period.

[Guy James] Now we could arrest
'em all, take their guns away,

put 'em in jail
for this or that.

It's a Class A misdemeanor
to carry a firearm

with intent to cause
public alarm.

I do not know that
that is a good idea.

So we just let 'em come in here,
armed, walk around town,

-protecting the community.
-I'm not saying that either.

[R.C.] Wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait a minute, wait a minute.

[R.C.] Look.
And then now what if,

and I'm not saying
this is gonna happen,

but what if when we go
to disarm them

and they resist, and one of them
rifles goes off

and shoots one of us, hm,
or worse?

Shoots one of the kids
in the yard?

[Guy James] On the other hand,
all it takes is one redneck

to go and get his gun
and shoot someone

'cause everybody's
walking around with their guns,

and then we got some
serious problems.

[Billy] I want a pie, please?

[Waitress] It's coming up, baby.

R.C., What do you think
we oughta do?

Can we get some help
from the State?

-[scoffs]
-We already asked them.

They're not gonna be behind this

if it means
taking their guns away.

[Billy] Well, all we got left,

is to play some poker,
hope they don't call our bluff.

-Have one of them fries?
-Yeah.

[grunting]

You about as nervous
as a cat on a griddle.

I thought things
would be easier.

Say a few speeches,
cut a few ribbons,

maybe make things
a little bit better.

I should've listened to y'all.

Not let them nominate me.

It was a chance to have
a Black mayor, Dad.

You're the only one folks
could agree on.

Yeah, right.
I beat a town drunk,

and a crazy man.

If only Mayor Lindsey
hadn't retired.

Well, he did,
and you got it now.

What ya gonna do?

I don't know.

I got to represent
the whole town, I know that.

Can't speak my own mind.

People sayin' old mayor
still runs things.

Is that what you think, Ricky?

-Ricky.
-Come on now, Dad.

[R.C.] Is that what you think?

[Mary] What's wrong with you?

[Panther] Move out.
Go, go, go, go. Let's go.

Go.

[upbeat music playing]

[Billy] You all can't march
in downtown Jasper

without a parade permit.

And how long
is that gonna take?

[Billy] About a week.

But you're welcome to march
once you got one.

[Khalid X]
We're gonna march today.

I know my rights.

My constitutional right
to assemble, free assembly.

This here is just
a courtesy visit

to let you know
what we're going to do.

Well, you know
he does have a point,

about his rights.

What if they was to march
up here?

Would they need a permit?

Would they have to have a permit
to march up here?

In the back streets?

No I don't think so.

-Be all right with the city.
-[R.C.] Yeah-yeah, but uh...

you can't go marching
by the church.

Now you don't wanna upset
the family

-in their time of grief.
-Don't you think

that's up to them?

They might wanna march with us.

Let me just make this
one last point, about the guns.

You can march with signs
if you want to.

You can tell us
where we can march,

but you can't say nothin'
about the guns.

-[claps]
-This here

is my N.R.A. membership card.
All of my people got one too.

-[Walter] Brother, come on.
-[Khalid X] We know every comma

and period there is in the laws
of the State of Texas

about carrying guns.

And if you country boys,
brother,

think you're gonna take them
from us,

you are greatly mistaken.

Uh, we have not invited
these people here.

Uh, so I'm asking uh,

all you citizens of uh,
of Jasper

to stay out the way
and stay in your homes

and don't interfere in any way.

Uh, let them
do their thing.

Everything
is under control.

Listening audience
the same thing,

these people don't represent
Jasper.

-Right.
-It's time for us

to all pull together
and show our character.

Let them see exactly--
let the world see

who Jasper really is.
A city of love.

[Walter] That's right, and what
Reverend said is true.

I mean, the whole world
is watching us right now.

-That's right.
-[Walter] And they're all

looking at us to see
what we're gonna do

and see what kind of people
we are here.

You know, this is the time
for all of us to sort of

reach down
into our hearts,

and all become part
of who we are.

You know, because this is
a very unique

community here in Jasper.
I mean, you know...

none of our
surrounding communities

you know, have,
or would have a Black mayor.

[footsteps]

We don't need the Black Panthers
to come down here

and tell us who we are
and what we should do.

We know who we are.

So everybody
just keep that in mind.

-Yeah. We know who we are.
-[Walter] That's right.

[reporter] James Byrd's funeral
brought civil rights leaders

and politicians
from around the country.

[Waters] We're so sorry
and we're so pained,

we're so hurt that
this incident

has taken place in 1998.

[ominous music playing]

[thunder rumbling]

[man vocalizing]

[gunshots]

[gunshots on recorder]

[recorder clicks]

[R.C.] That's what we heard
on the answering machine

when I got home.

R.C., you gotta have security,

let us know where you're going
so we can keep an eye on ya.

And what about Mary,
what about the house?

Keep it patrolled.

It's you I'm worried about.

Maybe you oughta go to see
your sister,

just until this thing
calms down, blows over?

And leave you here all alone?

I stood up in church and swore
I was with you

for better or worse.

I ain't goin' nowhere.

What am I gonna do with her?

Now I need an honest answer.

You think this trial can be, uh,
done here?

-Well, Guy James.
-[R.C.] Yeah.

[Walter] He likes to make deals.
I don't think he's tried

a capital crime since like
what, uh, '91, '92?

And Billy, well, you know,
he ain't never been around

anything like
D.N.A. evidence.

Well, he got the F.B.I.'s help.

R.C., he had to call them in.

I mean a man's head
was lying there

and the story's all across
the squawk boxes,

uh, across the county
in no time.

He better call in the F.B.I.

[birds chirping]

Man, I'm not even sure we should
be trying this case here.

First, it's awful big case
for this office.

I only have one investigator.

I might could spare some guys
if it come to that.

Well, second of all,
it'll be damned expensive.

What choice we got?

Feds ain't exactly rushing in
to take this thing.

Hey maybe they know something.

Well, maybe we should tell 'em
we can't afford it,

that it'd bankrupt the town.

It damn well might.
You prepared for that?

Well, you're the one
to prosecute it.

If you want it,
we can find some money.

You got a good case?

It's shaping up,
but it's not airtight.

I'm not even sure we can make it
into capital murder, yet.

We have to prove
two crimes here.

Not just one.

It's tricky.

It's risky, too.

[officer]
You can't know what ain't yours,

you hear me boy!

I think you should do it.

R.C., there's one more thing.

What if we lose?

[Billy] L.A. after Rodney King.

Things could get out of hand.

You know, we got us
a good town here,

we got some good people.

You can do it,
I know you can.

We need to have this trial here
for the sake of this town.

It'd do somethin'
to start some healin'.

[reporter] Last night
the popular Washington, D.C.

shock jock known
as The Grease Man

got some of his own medicine
from the host and audience

of an African-American
radio call-in show.

[woman] How much shock
do Black people have to take?

[reporter] This appearance
was part of an apology campaign

by The Grease Man
whose real name is Doug Tract,

fired last week
after playing part of a song

by African-American
recording artist Lauren Hill,

and then saying,

"No wonder people drag them
behind trucks."

[man] [indistinct]

...getting out of control.

Now I am embarrassed to say
that I come from Jasper.

Suddenly we are a symbol
for racism.

And you sayin'
that we don't have any?

[Walter] Well, not any more
than any place else.

And we, and I mean all of us,
have to make people know that.

One thing that Black folks
and White folks

do have in common,
is a belief in God and prayer.

-[man] Thank you, Jesus.
-And we need to have us

a prayer vigil now,
just everybody, together.

But we need more than that.

We need to talk.

We need to have a dialogue.

Yes, so peoples can air
their grievances.

Now y'all you have
to do that in your own churches.

But it would mean more
if it came from the city.

[Walter] Well, that's right.

We should have
a Mayor's Task Force.

And we need our mayor
to get involved.

[Catholic Priest]
We get together on this thing.

[Reverend] Absolutely.

[Catholic Priest]
Mr. Mayor, you have our support.

Thanks a lot,
for doing this for me.

-R.C.
-Yeah?

[Walter]
You are the mayor of this town.

You got to do something.

You can't just sit back
and hope this'll pass.

We have got to do somethin'.

That's why I'm asking
for this Task Force,

let people get up and talk.

I thought the plan
was to keep things calmed down?

[Nancy] How will Blacks
and Whites handle it

if there's a real disagreement?

Some things
aren't easily solvable.

But when you believe in God
they always work themselves out.

We are going to put our faith
in God.

Now I'm a strong believer.

And I believe most of y'all
are too.

[choir]
♪ What a fellowship♪

♪ What a joy divine ♪

♪ Leaning on
the everlasting arms ♪

♪ What a blessedness,
what a peace is mine ♪

♪ Leaning on
the everlasting arms ♪

♪ Leaning, leaning ♪

♪ Safe and secure
from all alarm ♪

♪ Leaning, leaning ♪

Reverend.

[choir] ♪ Leaning on
the everlasting arms ♪

Everybody seems to be
n the spirit.

[R.C.] Sure do.

What's the deal on this
task force, R.C.?

Is it gonna keep things peaceful
or maybe it'll stir things up?

[man] Amen.

Just a damn drug deal gone bad,
is all.

Know what I'm sayin'?

I mean, ain't nothin' racial
about it at all.

-What about the trial?
-It just like this.

It's all for show.

[R.C.] So I hope
we keep things peaceful.

[choir]
♪ ...everlasting arms♪

[indistinct chatter]

Today the citizens of Jasper
joined together

in a display of faith and unity

in the face of this
recent incident.

Baby.

All-in-all this has been
a great success.

[scoffs] You be careful now.

Don't you be taking credit
for the Lord's work.

Good for the town.

Good for the media.
And that Task Force--

-Uh-hmm.
---is gonna help, too.

[reporter] Jury selection
resumes tomorrow

in the trial
of John William King,

the alleged ringleader
of the three men

who have been accused
of this brutal crime.

Ain't nothin' gonna help
if things turn out badly.

You know, I was sitting in
that courtroom,

listening to Guy James
question them uh,

perspective Black jurors.

And most of them
disqualified themselves

'cause they don't believe
in the death penalty.

[Walter] That's not exactly
a surprise,

not the way it's been used
against us.

It won't help if we get us
an all-White jury.

It won't look good.

Won't look good at all.

Come on Claire.
Get closer.

I love you Ma.
It's for you Dad.

I'm gonna play some music here.

[piano music playing]

[James Jr.]
♪ I can dream of a new day ♪

♪ I can dream of a world
to come ♪

♪ I can feel it coming my way

♪ Feel the world
in a different way ♪

♪ Oh, yeah

♪ I can dream of a new time

I love you.

♪ A time of love
and a new rhyme ♪

♪ I can feel it
coming by my way ♪

♪ See the world in a new way

♪ I can dream, I can dream

This is for mom and dad's
anniversary.

I love you.

♪ I can dream, I can dream♪

All right.

[crickets chirping]

Hey, Billy.

You coming to bed?

[sighs] I ain't tired yet, buns.

Oh, Billy, you passed tired
a long ways back.

-Very stiff.
-Oh.

-There.
-Don't you ever stop doing that.

Hey, hey.

Oh, Billy, since when?

Just a little ol' toddy, buns.

Help me sleep.

Billy.

Come on now.
Talk to me.

[sighs] I just keep thinking
what if I overlook

some key piece of evidence?

This is the biggest damn deal

I ever thought I'd investigate
in my whole life.

What if I screw it up?

Well, don't screw it up.

Right.

[crickets chirping]

[telephone ringing]

Hello.

[man] If your town does anything
to them three boys,

we're coming to get you.

[phone line disconnects]

[ominous music playing]

Guy James, did he say anything
to you about the jury selection?

Not much, R.C.
He ain't worried about it.

Ain't you?

Hi, howdy Mr. Powell.

[Mr. Powell]
Hey how y'all doin' today?

-Howdy.
-Just fine here.

-There ain't no Black jurors.
-Not yet.

Yeah, but those that ain't
disqualified themselves,

Bill King's lawyer, he keeps
striking 'em off the list.

You saying a White jury
won't convict 'em?

No-no-no, I ain't saying that.
I'm just saying-

saying it don't look right.

You know,
don't ring right for Jasper.

Sending out the wrong
kind of signal, you know?

Wish I could be
one of them jurors.

I would not hesitate
doing the right thing.

An eye for an eye.

That's what it says
in the Bible.

-Death penalty don't bother me.
-[Mr. Nelson] Hey, Mayor.

How ya doin'?
Lookin' good, man.

-Thank you.
-Billy Rowles.

[birds chirping]

[indistinct chatter]

Well, was it personal?
Did you know him?

No, it was just 'cause
I was white.

This wasn't no,
I don't like no police, look.

This was just lumping me
with them White folks,

just 'cause they done
the murder.

[telephone ringing]

That don't happen to me,
you know?

Hell, I treat everyone equal,
Jamie.

Don't allow no harassment,

no nasty language
from my people.

This is Billy.

[sighs] You are shittin' me.

The Klan?

They announced
they're going to hold a rally

-at your courthouse.
-While the trial is goin' on?

[Walter] And you just gonna
let 'em come here?

I mean, here where
they just dragged

a Black man to his death?

They followed
the permit process.

We can't say no to 'em.

Hell of a lawsuit.

Well, you redirected
the Panthers, Billy.

Couldn't stop 'em
from coming here.

[R.C.] Well, dammit
you better find a way

to redirect them, too.

This is the Klan
we're talking about here.

[phone ringing]

I'm sorry y'all, uh, stress.

Got this in the mail.

[Billy] Join the club.

Looks like the same handwriting.

Man's been busy.

[Clark] I'll take those.

You told your wives?

Me neither.

Yes, I know
y'all are uncomfortable

'cause he's the one
that prosecuted Son.

-Never came in my mind, R.C.
-Now I can tell ya.

Guy James Grey
wants to win this trial.

-I know this.
-Can he?

'Course he can.

[James] Can them boys
get convicted here?

[officer] Stay down.
[grunting]

Look.

There ain't gonna be no more
turning the other cheek.

We gonna get this right.

We gonna do it
the right way, now.

Now do you know that
most of White folks in Jasper

wanna see this King kid
punished, too?

And them other two, also.

[James] Justice is all we want.

-[knocks on door]
-You are gonna get it.

I'm busy!

-I swear to you.
-[door opens]

-I said I'm busy.
-I wouldn't interrupt

if it wasn't
mighty important, Mayor.

Okay, I'll be right back.

-R.C., what...
-[door closes]

-Just heard from the F.B.I.
-Mm-hm.

The Panthers is issued
a statement.

They plan on coming back here
the same day as the Klan.

[sighs]

I'm beginning to understand
how Job must've felt.

Amen.

[dramatic music playing]

[crickets chirping]

[indistinct chatter]

[Reverend] If I may have a word.

Now a lot of Black people
feel like

they aren't being treated
with respect.

-That's right, my brother.
-They go to the store

and the owners look at them like
they're gonna steal something.

[Mr. Nelson]
I put my money in the bank,

but they ain't no Black people
working there.

Black man can't get a job
selling cars.

You gonna get us a job,
Mr. Diggles?

Are you gonna get us a job?

-Mr. Nelson um, you know--
-[Mr. Nelson] Are you?

We can only try to create jobs,
try to bring jobs here.

Now you know that.

[Rev. Lyons] Anybody notice
there still ain't no Black folks

-in the Jasper Country Club?
-[man] That's right.

Are there any Whites
in your church?

[Rev. Lyons] Difference is
Ms. Nickerson,

you can come to my church
any time you want.

In fact...

I'll get you a front row seat.

[man]
That's what I'm talking about.

You're a trip, Reverend.

[dramatic music playing]

Well, I gotta go.

Bye.

Bye.

You nervous, honey?

Yeah, I guess so. Guess I am.

You're gonna do just fine.

You know
I could still be there with ya.

Hey.

Say a little prayer.

[door opens]

[door closes]

[camera man] They're bringing
King around the back. Come on.

-[man] Here he comes.
-[man] Okay. Hurry up.

-[man] Come on, let's go.
-[man] Come on now.

[man] Bring that camera
right here now.

[man] Excuse me,
excuse me [indistinct]

[man]
He's inside there, get him out.

-[Walter] You want reality?
-It was them jurors

-selected him for it.
-The only reason

he's on that jury is King's
lawyer ran out of strikes.

It was a smart--
it was a smart thing to do.

-A smart thing to do?
-No press, please.

I said no press, and I mean it.

Hope it ain't for show.

Aren't you the guy who said

this town's about
loving each other?

Oh, yeah. Since I want
your mind on business,

I'm not gonna remind you about
some of the boneheaded things

-you said.
-[Billy] Thanks.

All right, get back. Get back.

All right y'all, move him
on out. All right.

Appreciate all your cooperation.

That's enough, now.
That's enough, I said.

Get back there. That's enough.
That's enough of that.

That's all.
That's enough. Thank y'all.

[indistinct chatter]

[reporter]
What was your motive, King?

Why did you do it?

[indistinct chatter]

[Guy James]
You had the opportunity

to observe the body
of James Byrd.

[Billy] I did.

What professional conclusions
did you reach

as to the nature
of his injuries?

There was a massive amount
of trauma.

The body had separated.

I believe it was one--
the one shoulder,

I believe it was
the left shoulder,

and the head was separated,
and was uh--

It's just my opinion...

through my experience
in my work that uh...

there was a culvert,

a cement culvert that the body
appeared to me

to have hit that culvert

and separated from the head
and shoulder.

[Guy James]
No more questions Your Honor.

I reserve the right
to recall the witness.

Granted.

My apologies, Your Honor.

Billy.

Did you actually take any
of this uh, evidence yourself?

No, sir,
I didn't touch any of it.

I marked it, you know.
We didn't mess with it.

Mm-hm. Well, were you present
when this uh, evidence

was taken into
your officer's possession?

No, I had gone back
to the office.

I see.

So what you're telling me
is that you really have

no earthly idea
how this evidence was recovered,

now do you?

No, sir, I don't. I do not.

[Cribbs]
Well, let me ask you this.

Were uh, were you present
when the F.B.I. came out

and re-examined the scene?

At that particular time,

we was having
so many problems here,

I had people way smarter than me
handle that

and I was tending
to other things...

that I had to tend to.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

[Guy James] Ladies and gentlemen
of the jury,

I'm gonna show you some pictures
of the body.

And they are pretty rough
to handle.

But, they're important evidence.

I'd ask you not only
to look at them,

but to study them some.

Billy, I'll ask you
if you can identify them.

[whispering]

[Billy]
This is detail from the uh...

photograph
of James Byrd's torso,

laying on Huff Creek Road.

Why?

[Guy James]
And that was before...

it was moved, changed,
or tampered with...

in any manner?

This is how we found it.

And this one?

[Billy] This is a photograph
of the full torso,

and you can see
on the right side

of the photograph uh,
the missing head and shoulder.

[Guy James] Why...

are his pants and underwear...

Sheriff, how would you describe
that there?

The way we see it uh,

they's pulled down like that--

He was dragged and uh,

the perpetrators...

[dramatic music playing]

[clicks]

[Guy James] What about
those marks around his ankles?

My opinion, again,

that's from the chain.

[Cribbs]
Now objection, Your Honor.

-[Claire] Thurman.
-Move to strike,

and no chain has been introduced
as evidence.

[Guy James] Oh, we're gonna get
to that, Your Honor.

[door closes]

We gonna get to that.

[indistinct chatter]

[reporter] Excuse me, Mr. King.

-[reporter] Mr. King.
-[reporter] Mr. King.

Mr. King, I have to ask you,
how-how did your--

How did your son become
a racist, Mr. King?

[Mr. King] I don't rightly know.
He just wasn't raised that way.

[reporter] His lawyer claims
that it started in prison

when he was attacked
by Black men.

Well, he was different
when he came home.

And he didn't show
any signs of it earlier?

[Mr. King] Lady.
I didn't raise him like that.

Please, I--
I don't have any more to say.

[Sgt. Carter] Calm down.
Mr. King. Calm down.

-Back off, I said now.
-[reporter] Mr. King--

[Sgt. Carter]
I said, that's enough now!

[dramatic music playing]

[screaming]

[no audible dialogue]

[dramatic music playing]

[telephone ringing]

-This is Billy.
-[man] Your day's comin',

you race-traitor
son-of-a-bitch.

You better decide
which side you're on,

'cause otherwise
when you turn your back is--

[indistinct chatter]

We're doing well, now.
Anybody got anything else

to say now? We got it goin'.

Your Honor uh,
it seems to me that-

that we are--

It's like we're from different
cultures,

but we don't appreciate
each other's cultures equally.

[Rev. Lyons]
What we need to be doing

is some kind of congregation,
fellowshipping

between the churches
is what we need to be doing.

Good idea Reverend, thank you.

[Nancy]
I been searching my heart.

Asking, having I done
all I should have.

Well, sometimes
I didn't stand up...

for what I know was right.

Yeah, well, look here.

Seems like we always the one
who get arrested.

Always the one
be getting ticketed.

[R.C.]
Well, now, if you're actually

breaking the law, now.
Come on.

[Thelma] Our young boys
are always the ones

who get arrested for drugs.
Not the White boys.

White boys get busted,
they get sent home.

Our boys end up in jail.

Sometimes
it's a question of bail.

[man] And when we be stopped
by the police,

they don't treat us
with no respect.

I mean if we say one thing
and they-

they drag us off to jail.

[Thelma] We should invite
the police to come down here.

-[man] Yeah.
-Here what people have to say.

Well, you know
it might be a better idea

if we put together a small group
and let's go down

-as a small group of people.
-[R.C.] No wait-wait, whoa-whoa-

whoa, whoa, hold the lot here.

Anybody's gonna report anything
for the Task Force now,

it's the mayor's job to do that.
You understand that?

[door opens]

[Billy] Hey, R.C. How's it goin'
in your part of the woods?

There you got it.

What's that?

The Task Force results.

A whole lot of complaints.

-Yeah, pretty thick.
-[R.C.] Yup.

[Billy] Whoa. [chuckles]

We don't arrest anybody
ain't done nothin' wrong.

Yeah? Well, there's more
Black people get arrested

than Whites. That's a problem.

Maybe more uh, Black folks
do commit crimes.

They say the officers,

they don't treat
the Black folks the same.

This just ain't right.

You ever know anybody
who was arrested,

thought they was treated right?

I know something terrible's
happened here

and it stirred things up
in Jasper,

but it was them three bastards
that did it.

Basically Blacks and Whites
get along here.

I mean basically
things is alright here, right?

Wrong!

We just been pretending.

And we pretended
all these years.

All make believe.

Hey, there ain't nothin' wrong
with Jasper

that a Dupont coming here
with 2,000 jobs won't cure.

[R.C.] Billy. Listen to me.

Take care of these complaints,
hear?

Now.

And by the way,
if you're finished

with that crime scene...

then take all them marks
off the road.

It's upsetting people.

[door closes]

[Guy James]
In this letter...

to you from prison,
he talks about getting tattoos?

So far, I've gotten
Woody Woodpecker

wearing a Klansman uniform...

flipping off niggers.

Did you see that tattoo?

Yes, sir.

[Guy James] Did you see
one of someone hanging?

[Michelle] Yes, sir.

How did he describe that?

Uh, see my little nigger man
hangin' from a tree?

In this next letter...

he talks about joining

the Confederate
Knights of America,

a White supremacist group.

Would you read that right there,
please?

What do you think
about niggers and spics?

Would you date one, fuck one,
and become a race traitor

like a lot of those whores
in Jasper?

Any race traitor bitch
should be hung

alongside the nigger she fucked.

White is right.

When you were in prison
with Bill,

what did he say about taking
recruits in an initiation?

You gotta do a blood tie
to get in.

[Guy James] And what does
it mean to take a Black out

for initiation?

Kill 'im.

Prove your loyalty
to your organization.

[Guy James] If a Black
were kidnapped, killed

and that stirred up a race war,

would that be a desirable thing?

I guess.

If that's what you want.

We uh, can't help you enforce
that buffer zone.

With all due respect,
why the hell not?

It come from a district judge.

We don't think the no-guns
part's enforceable.

People have a right
to bear arms.

What's the attorney
general's opinion?

I'm not here to give opinions.
I'm just here to observe.

[R.C.] Observe what?

A whole lot of violence?
Race war?

Only way we'll get involved

is if the Panthers
resist arrest.

[Billy]
So it's our asses on the line

if we try to take their guns

and the whole damn deal
blows up?

[R.C.] Thank you gentlemen.

Thank you for a whole lot
of nothin'

Well, good luck, then.

[door opens]

There's one more thing
you need to know about.

[door closes]

Panthers are kissing
their loved ones goodbye.

Saying it's gonna be
a real bad scene down here.

[singer] ♪ Hey, Lord ♪

♪ What about me, Lord? ♪

♪ I feel like crying ♪

♪ Crying to you♪

♪ It's me, Lord ♪

♪ I'm on bended knee, Lord ♪

♪ I'm here to ask
something of you ♪

♪ Take me away ♪

♪ From this dust heap
of slavery ♪

♪ To love that knows
not its goal♪

♪ Take me away from this world

♪ So covered in pain ♪

♪ It's just not my home ♪

Now Sheriff,

we not gonna dance
that same dance again, are we?

Well, pretty much. Pretty much.

You can march with your guns
if you want to,

but you got to stay away
from the courthouse.

You can't keep us
from those White devils.

We have the right
to free assembly.

Well, you can assemble
if you want to,

but you can't have your guns
if you do.

Oh, there's a--
something I didn't tell ya.

There's a buffer zone.

Judge set up a buffer zone,
no guns in that zone.

-You just forgot to tell me huh?
-Yeah, it slipped my mind.

You think you one slick cracker,
don't you? That's illegal.

Well, don't test me on it,
Khalid.

Make your choice.

The courthouse or guns.

That's it.

And listen,
whichever one you choose,

you won't get lonely.
I'll be right there

-near you somewhere.
-[Khalid] We're outta here.

Why don't you issue an order
that we can use

to get the D.P.S. to help us out

if it comes down
to arresting people?

[woman] The governor
is not available right now.

Hey look.
Besides my own police,

all I got here
is some game warden volunteers

and some mounted patrol
from Smith County.

-Hello?
-[woman] I-I'm sorry sir.

Is uh-can I speak to somebody
higher up?

[woman] Now I'm the most senior
assistant here right now,

but I'd be happy to pass
your message on to my superior.

Thank you.

-We are on our own.
-[Mike Lout] You got some words

for the people of Jasper
this morning?

Um, yes, um...

Well, I-I-I would just like
to say to everybody

out there in Jasper that uh,

you know that the-the Klan
does not speak for me...

or for anybody I know,

and you know, I know
most of you all out there...

and-and it-and it sure
doesn't speak for Jasper.

-Right Billy, I mean--
-[Billy] Folks, they're just...

[Guy James] Looks like
our guests have arrived.

[Billy] These-these-these nuts

uh, they don't-they don't give
a damn about us folks.

They're just like
so many other outsiders

who've come here
to use this town

and our situation.

I ain't never seen no K.K.K.
up close before.

Me either.

Wonder if we'll recognize
anyone.

[Billy] These squirrels
may be funny looking, Nancy,

but make no mistake,
their extremist views

are the seeds
that's produced the tragedy

that this town
is suffering right now.

So I say, folks pay no respects
to these guys.

Go on your way.
That's my advice.

Just keep the peace,
go on your way.

[Klan leader] What you see
in front of you is freedom.

And we're gonna exercise
that freedom

whether you like it or not.

We're here to make
all White Aryans proud.

What's the story?

Made a deal.

Panthers are parading up
by New Bethel Baptist.

Don't let the Negro race
and the Jewish communist media

take away your pride.

-Your history.
-[cellphone ringing]

Billy here.

What?

I'll meet ya there.

Not enough news cameras up
by the church for 'em.

The Panthers is headin' back
here for the media.

Hey Billy. Billy.

Be careful.

...is a White Aryan.

Though you may have to wake up
to the fact one day

that you have to defend
yourselves...

[ominous music playing]

You all know the deal.

I ain't lettin' ya all in
with them weapons.

Then you got yourself a problem.

You all ain't coming in here.

I got me a judge's order
and I aim to enforce it.

[Khalid X] You don't wanna go up
against us.

[Billy] Damn right I don't.

But I'm gonna do it.
I'll do whatever I have to do.

I got me uh, plenty officers.
You want me to call 'em up?

Call 'em.

Look.

You all could put this
in your win column.

Make a choice
and go to the courthouse.

But you all gotta put up
your guns to do it.

[Klan leader]
They're making us take down

the confederate flag,

because the Negro race
don't like it.

Well, what about our rights?

What about how we feel?

[indistinct yelling]

-[Khalid X] Why are we here?
-[Panthers] Black power!

[Walter] Shit.
This is just what we need.

-[Khalid X] Why are we here?
-[Panthers] Black power!

We didn't sell you all
into slavery!

Get all the town folks
out of here quick, now! Come on.

-And what do they fear?
-[Panthers] Black power!

[Klan leader]
We Christianized you.

We rescued you from the land
that God gave to Cain.

The disease-infested,
poverty-stricken...

bongo-beating continent
of Africa.

-I'm here to tell you--
-Kill all these White devils.

-Kiss my ass, nigger!
-Black power!

White power!

[Billy] Carol do it,
send 'em in. Send 'em all in!

[indistinct yelling]

[Khalid X]
Let me in, damn it, right now.

[Billy]
Now listen. Listen to me.

Look, I told you. I told you--

You listening to me?

I told you.

You need to speak to the press
and y'heard the sheriff,

he gonna let you speak.

[Khalid X] Ain't nobody
listening to you, sellout.

You can speak.
The press is right here.

They'll hear everything you say.

But you start riling each other,
you're gonna see a side of me

you wish you'd never seen.

You put that arm out there
again, I'm gonna break it off.

Those White devils are spouting.

You are part of
the racist conspiracy.

We are here to protest.

[Klan leader] ...he's gonna
wanna make a home with you.

[Khalid X] Hooded devil.
Show me your face.

Herd 'em over this side.

[indistinct chatter]

We are the antidote
to those White devils.

We are the new
Black Panther party,

all the voices of Black people,

here in Jasper, Texas,
and throughout America.

Listen to the voices
of Black people.

You cowardly old man
and you hooded White devils

had better thank
whatever God's grace

that these police officers
are here to hold us back.

Ain't nothin' but a show.

[Walter] Just using Jasper.

And James Jr. too.

[indistinct chatter]

[Klan leader] We rescued you.

We civilized you.

[indistinct chatter]

[Sgt. Carter]
All done, now. Day's over.

Okay now, good day.
Back up for me. Keep moving.

[Billy] That's it.
We've been kind to you all.

You had your free expressions,

you said all you wanted to say,
didn't ya?

Now it's time to go.
Time to go home, everybody.

[R.C.] Ain't nothin' but a show.

[Billy] Well, good Lord seen us
through this day somehow.

[R.C.] Yeah. Amen.

Now, if he can just see us
through this trial.

[Guy James] Well, it's like
I tell my little leaguers.

When the pressure's on...

there's some
that can hit the ball

and some that can't.

You all did real good.

[Nancy] I was so worried
about the children

listening on the radio.

Such ugly language.

You know,
I consider myself a good guy,

uh, I'm color blind.

But it-it upsets me
to see mixed-race couples,

not that they're together.
It's the kids I worry about.

It's real hard on-
on mixed-race kids.

We just ain't there yet.

Well, I don't disagree with ya.

I wouldn't want my daughter
marrying a White boy neither.

-Food's good.
-[Mary] Mm-hm.

Yeah. Amen.

[dramatic music playing]

Something on your mind?

I just don't believe
that garbage...

that K.K. man was spouting out.

What about them Panthers?

Kill the White devil.

You don't wanna see me dead,
do you R.C.?

I ain't never said
nothin' like that.

Ain't you never said
that word, nigger?

Nigger?
Ain't you said that before?

Huh?

You never said the word
honky cracker?

Redneck peckerwood?

Let he who is without sin...

Cast the first stone.

[dramatic music playing]

[Guy James]
And in these letters,

what'd he say was gonna happen

when he came back here
after prison?

[Brandi] He said he was gonna
make hisself well-known

by doing something.

But he didn't mention what.

Regardless...

of the outcome of this,

we have made and shall die
proudly remembered, if need be.

Much Aryan love,
respect and honor,

my brother in arms, Sieg Heil...

signed Possum.

Now you intercepted this note
when it was being passed

between the defendant
and the co-defendant,

Lawrence Russell Brewer.

Yes, sir.

[dramatic music playing]

[James] Even in death,
we separated.

R.C....

if any good could come
from Son's death,

we think that old fence
should go.

It's a matter of time.

It's like the old days
still ain't changed.

And...

after what them men did to Son,

it'd be saying something.

If it was uh,
city property...

I'd do it right now.

Turns out that
it's private property,

with its own board.

Who's on the board?

That's what we're trying
to find out right now.

Don't worry. We get to it.

[Dr. Brown] Now here
you can see the abrasions

to the back lateral buttocks
and posterior thighs,

laceration to the left mid-back,

and a large ground down area
over the sacrum and buttocks.

Ground down to the lumbar spine.

[Guy James] Now
there's an obvious difference

in the shape of the wounds
on the buttocks.

What does that tell you?

It's my opinion
that while being dragged,

Mr. Byrd was attempting
to relieve the pain

and injuries he was receiving.

[screaming]

This uh, dragging
was very painful.

[screaming]

In my mind, he was trying
to relieve the pain by...

swapping one portion of his body
for the other to get relief

and to keep his head
off the ground.

[screaming]

No question in your mind that
James Byrd Jr. was still alive

when he was chained and dragged?

No question, whatsoever.

And the cause of death
was when his head and shoulder

were ripped off.

[groans]

[Dr. Brown] Yes, he was uh,
alive 'til that time.

Thank you.

Morris Johnson, Wilson Rogers,

I played basketball with 'em
in High School.

Right.

Quinnie, track.

Yeah, Robert Quinn, yeah.

All good friends.
When I was scout master

I had Black kids in my troop.

Honey, who are you convincing?

We ask the Lord to please
take care of us

and we thank Him and the cook
for this beautiful meal.

Amen.

-[group] Amen.
-[woman] Amen.

Pass the bread.

'Fore--before you all get uh,
busy eating,

I've got something to tell ya.

Especially you young ones.

There's somethin' uh...

that I'd forgotten.
Maybe I didn't wanna remember.

But uh, about uh, 30 years ago.

Your cousin Leroy.
My sister Norva's son.

The police...

came to his house...

and pulled him out of bed,

and accused him of fooling
around with some-some...

White woman.

[grunting]

[officer] Stop it!

[officer] You so much
as look at a White girl,

you'll be dead.
You hear me boy?

Stay out there!

And they beat him.

[officer] Hear me?

-Stay down.
-They beat him bad.

[grunting]

When I went to the hospital...

broke down and cried.

His face was uh...

so swollen, that uh,
looked like uh...

like jelly.

When I asked Norva
to do somethin',

to press some charges,

-she said uh--
-No.

-We have to live here.
-[R.C.] We have to live here.

-We can't cause no trouble.
-We can't cause no trouble.

-We just gotta let it go.
-[R.C.] We just gotta let it go.

Now I haven't thought about that
in a long time.

It's dangerous to...

forget.

It's dangerous to remember.

Because then...

you got to do somethin'.

[man] You know it ain't
city property, so...

it really
ain't none of your business.

[city manager]
But it affects Jasper

both in terms of appearance
and actuality.

[Catholic priest] Gentlemen,
we're simply here to...

ask you to look into your hearts

and uh,
do what you know is right.

[man]
It was just cow fence

just to keep the cattle out.

Then uh, coloreds starting
burying on the other side of it.

So I really don't get
the problem.

Well, it...

it--it's a symbol, sir.
It's a--it's insulting.

[man] It's halfway down, anyhow.

It don't mean nothin'.

[Catholic Priest]
But it is still keeping

-the two sides apart.
-It's the way it's always been.

Well, that don't mean
it's right.

Could you tell me
what difference it makes

to a dead person?

It ain't for the dead.

It's for the living.

We'll uh, we'll talk...

with the rest of the board

and we'll-
we'll let you all know.

[dramatic music playing]

[woman vocalizing]

[reporter] Because of these
procedural tactics,

it appears the Hate Crimes bill
prompted by the dragging death

of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper,

will not come to the floor
for a vote

in this legislative session...

in Austin...

[reporter] In other news,
earlier today,

Reverend Jesse Jackson
issued his own statement...

[Bo] All right,
I'll see ya all Saturday, boys.

[indistinct]

[Billy] Oh. Air conditioning.

Nothing like a hardware store
on a hot day.

Got that right.
How ya doin'?

[Billy]
Inventory's a bitch, ain't it?

Yeah.
All you gotta count is bullets.

Hey, Bo,

you got lots of Black customers,
don't ya?

Sell to anybody who'll buy.

You know they've been having
these meetings,

and they was wishing
there was more...

Blacks working in the stores
where they buy.

What, are you saying
I oughta hire somebody

on account of they're Black?

[Billy] No, of course not.

No, I ain't. Just saying
if there was someone qualified,

that you should give 'em a shot.

Shoot, Billy.

You working for the Chamber
of Commerce all of a sudden?

-Oh, Lord, no.
-[laughing]

No, you just stick
to sheriffing, huh?

But I know you pretty good, Bo.

What if you had all your money
in a bank

where there's no White people
working at?

Think about that,
will ya, partner?

And I'll catch up later.

Alright. You take good care now.

-Goin' back out into it now.
-Keep your head down.

[judge] Has the jury reached
its verdict?

Yes we have, Your Honor.

[judge]
Pass it to the bailiff, please.

The defendant will rise.

How do you find?

We the jury...

find the defendant...

-guilty of capital murder.
-Yes.

-[gavel pounds]
-[applause]

Order. Order.

Will you all settle down,
please!

Order.
I will have order in this court.

-Hush up now.
-Good job.

[judge] Hearings on
the sentencing will begin

at 9:00 tomorrow.

The court is adjourned
for the day.

[sighs]

[Sgt. Carter] Stand back.
Back 'em up there, boys.

We need to get right
through here now.

Right behind me there. Back up.

-I said back up.
-[indistinct yelling]

[reporter] Do you have--

Do you have anything to say
to the Byrd family?

They can suck my dick.

[man] Get that, get that.

[man] Yeah, you're going to die,
you bastard.

That's it.

[indistinct chatter]

You just wait at the door.

I wanted to talk before, but...

didn't feel right 'til we come
to this point in the trial.

I come to apologize
on behalf of my family.

I don't know how a boy I raised
could come to this.

To take a life.

How he could find it
in hisself to...

It's not the way I feel.

It hurts me.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for your loss.

You could raise 'em, but...

once they get grown,

they're on their own.

It's not your fault,
what happened.

Thank you.

[dramatic music playing]

You just another man...

who lost his son.

[gavel pounds]

Mr. King,
would you stand, please?

Based on the jury's findings...

I hereby...

sentence you to death...

by lethal injection.

[man] Yes.

[whispers]

If the F.B.I. and the media
hadn't been around here,

he for damn sure wouldn't be
going off for death row now.

[reporter] Mayor Horn,
do you have any comment?

You all gonna believe
what you want,

no matter what.

[man] R.C.

[man] R.C.

-Can I have a word?
-Mm-hm.

Uh...

we've been uh,
talking to the committee

about that fence and uh...

[R.C.] Hey, wow, that was easy.

[indistinct chatter]

Fence has been here
all them years.

[indistinct chatter]

It's amazing
what you can accomplish

when you got a whole lot
of help.

Yeah, and a acetylene torch.

At least there's a torch.

[indistinct chatter]

Sheriff.

[dramatic music playing]

[man vocalizing]

[reporter] There are still
two more trials to go.

Russell Brewer
and Shawn Allen Berry.

So the story is far from over.

And as a strange footnote
to the events here in Jasper,

there's been a citywide
referendum

to end the salary for the Mayor
and the City Council.

Oh, man, that hurts so bad.

With White districts voting
to end it,

Black districts voting against.

[Billy] I can't believe this.

[reporter] Some people blame
the local economy,

where the unemployment rate
has risen to over 12%.

From the courthouse
in Jasper, Texas,

this is Carol Walsh
for K.N.P.S.

I went by the house.

And uh, Mary told me
you was out.

Thanks for cleaning all this up.

I heard about the results.

-That's some bullshit.
-Man.

Take away your stipend.

Wasn't that much to begin with.

Took the council's money, too.

Times is tight.
The town's losing money.

Can't hardly pay our bills.

You're being gracious.
That's huge.

You want one of these?

After all this town's
been through.

Well...

things...

ain't gonna happen overnight.

You got it?

At least people are talking
to each other.

Listening to each other.

Keep your eye on the prize,

somebody once said.

You know that damn thing
hardly didn't pass.

Lots of Whites voted against it.

Probably more
than would have before.

Still stinks.

Leastways...

we ain't pretending no more.

Like that cigar?

It's good.