(From Sen. Claire McCaskill)
For decades now, victims of racially motivated crimes and families of those murdered during the Civil Rights era have been knocking on the door of justice. But the door just doesn’t budge without a fight – and countless cases remain unsolved.
For this McCaskill Mailer, I want to dive into how we’ve been fighting to push that door wide open and bring long-overdue justice for victims of these despicable crimes: through legislation I fought for in 2007 called the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.
Named for the infamous 1955 trial where Emmett Till’s white murderers went free, this bill has allowed the FBI and the Department of Justice to review more than 100 cold cases predating 1970.
They’ve brought prosecutions where possible. But even in cases where prosecutions weren’t possible, new findings or updates, especially in circumstances involving death or statutes of limitations, bring much-needed solace to surviving families who have been left in the dark for far too long.
But here’s the thing: This bill’s provisions are about to expire, and there are countless more cases – and families – that need our help.
That’s why I’m leading legislation to renew the bill, strengthen its requirements and broaden its scope to the present day. Because heinous, racially motivated crimes must be prosecuted no matter when they occurred.
And as a former prosecutor, I’m 100% committed to making sure Congress renews this important bill for the families and communities still waiting on justice.
I’ll reach out with updates on the renewal process soon, but in the meantime, take a moment to read more here.
Thanks for reading,
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