Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Prosecution Program

Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Prosecution Program

In cooperation and funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College provides grantees with training and technical assistance in support of the Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Prosecution Program. The Emmett Till Cold Case Investigations and Prosecution Program, launched in FY 2020, provides support to state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors in their investigation and prosecution of cold case murders associated with civil rights violations. Funds are limited to address violations of civil rights statutes resulting in death that occurred no later than December 31, 1979. **History** The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has several programs named in honor of significant individuals and their roles in our nation’s criminal justice system. One of those figures is Emmett Till. Emmett's murder galvanized the nascent civil rights movement and reshaped America. One day in the summer of 1955, when he was only 14 years old, Emmett traveled from his home in Chicago to visit family in Money, Mississippi. During his stay, he visited a store owned by Roy and Carolyn Bryant. After visiting the store, he was accused of whistling at Mrs. Bryant, a white woman. Mrs. Bryant told her husband that Emmett made sexual advances toward her. On a Sunday, four days after Emmett visited the store, Roy and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, kidnapped Emmett at gunpoint from the home of his great-uncle, Mose Wright. He was taken to a barn where he was beaten and finally killed by a gunshot to the head. Emmett’s young body was then tied to a cotton gin fan using barbed wire and thrown into the Tallahatchie River. A few days later, a fisherman found his naked, battered body in the river. **[Read More](http://bja.ojp.gov/news/blog/historical-figures-behind-bureau-justice-assistance-programs-legacy-emmett-till)**


Featured Resources

Emmett Till Project - Microgrant Application Resource
Emmett Till Project - Microgrant Application

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Partner Organization

Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice
Grant Disclaimer
This project was supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-03165-EMME awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
 
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