Two Brandon men are pleading guilty to violating federal hate crime laws in a string of racist attacks that ended with the death of an African-American man in Jackson. In all, ten white people have pled guilty.
The group, who are all from central Mississippi, went on a three-month long crime spree in 2011 targeting and attacking African-Americans in Jackson.
Their attacks resulted in the death of James Craig Anderson, who was killed after he was assaulted and run over by a truck driven by then 18-year-old Daryl Dedmon.
John Blalack, who was there that night, and Robert Rice, who was not but took part in other assaults, both pled guilty to hate crime charges in federal court in Jackson yesterday.
U-S Attorney Greg Davis says those two men are the last of the group.
"Ten people have pled guilty to various hate crimes involving young people coming to Jackson, Mississippi with the intent to harass and assault African-Americans in Jackson Mississippi. Hate based crimes have no place in America," Davis said.
Anderson's sister Barbara Anderson Young says she never doubted that she would see justice for her brother.
"We have a strong faith in God. And we have confidence in these people that have been working behind the scenes and on the street and everywhere to bring these ten people down," Young said.
John Blalack and Robert Rice are now in Prison
Blalack faces up to 20 years in prison.
Rice faces up to ten years.
Daryl Dedmon, who ran over James Craig Anderson, is serving two life sentence.
