Today's Date: March 28, 2024
Intown Stars Sports Training and Events Center Wins Georgia Business Journal's 'Best of Georgia' and Atlanta Magazine's 'Best of   •   Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Earns Two Press Ganey Awards   •   Guaranteed Rate Welcomes New Atlanta Branch Manager, Carlos Mata   •   Blain's Farm & Fleet Launches Exclusive Estate 4-in-1 Lawn Fertilizer Redefining the Future of Lawn Care   •   From Tee to Triumph: Teen Entrepreneur and Golf Sensation Hosts First Annual Autism Awareness Golf Tournament   •   ComPsych Corporation Announces 2023 Health at Work Award Winners   •   The Religious Sub-forum of BFA 2024 to Feature the First Roundtable Thought Event   •   Yamaha Motor Signs Technical Partnership with Lola Cars for Development and Supply of Powertrains for Formula E   •   Green Boom Expands Product Line to The Home Depot   •   In 23rd Annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month Campaign, NSVRC Calls for Building Connected Communities to Prevent Sexual Violenc   •   Leading In-Home Care Franchise Looks to Expand in La Crosse   •   Saviynt Debuts One-Stop Resource Exchange for Thousands of Enterprise Identity Professionals   •   Black & Veatch Distributed Infrastructure Business Awarded Highest OSHA Star Recognition   •   Wolters Kluwer enters nursing test prep market with launch of Lippincott Ready for NCLEX   •   THE ST. JAMES AND TPH ACADEMY PARTNER TO LAUNCH PREMIER ACADEMIC AND SPORTS PERFORMANCE ACADEMY SERVING THE GREATER WASHINGTON R   •   Lutheran Senior Services and Diakon Enter Into Senior Living Agreement   •   Stamp showcasing maamoul commemorates Islamic festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha   •   Tractor Supply Opens Applications for Second Annual Open Buying Days Event   •   /R E M I N D E R -- Travelling for Easter? The Canada Border Services Agency gives tips for a smooth trip/   •   Modern Health & Naomi Osaka’s Hana Kuma Launch Mental Health Focused Video Podcast Series “Can’t Wait To H
Bookmark and Share

Racist Murderer Gets Life For Killing Black Lawman

WASHINGTON– The Justice Department announced today that Dale Mardis, a 57 year old white man, was sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole, for the racially-motivated killing of black Shelby County, Tenn., Code Enforcement Officer Mickey Wright. Mardis was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald.

Dale Mardis
Mickey Wright
Shelby County
Justice DepartmentBlack News, African American News, Minority News, Civil Rights News, Discrimination, Racism, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality, Afro American NewsMardis pleaded guilty on March 21, 2011, to the racially-motivated killing of Officer Wright. Last week, federal prosecutors and investigators discovered that Mardis murdered another man, Henry Ackerman, in the summer of 1998. They confronted Mardis with the new information on July 1, 2011, and Mardis confessed to the second murder.

Judge Donald imposed the life sentence after Mardis dropped his objections to the sentencing recommendation and admitted that his killing of Wright was first-degree murder. In addition to agreeing to the federal life sentence, Mardis also agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder for the murder of Ackerman in Shelby County Criminal Court, and to be sentenced to life for that killing as well.

Mardis murdered Mickey Wright on April 17, 2001, and was federally indicted for the killing in January 2008 after pleading no contest to a state court murder charge.

“This defendant committed a heinous act of hate-filled violence, and today's life sentence sends an unmistakable message that such conduct will not be tolerated in our society,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “I am hopeful that this sentence will bring some sense of justice for Mickey Wright's loved ones.”

“Although nothing can ever undo their tragic loss, Mickey Wright’s family can take some comfort that Dale Mardis will never again set foot outside of a prison and never again breathe free air,” said U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III. “This life sentence marks an important day for the Wright family and for all the people of Memphis. Dale Mardis’s fate proves to the community that hate-crime murders remain a top priority of my office and of the whole federal government.”

“Brutal hate crimes like the one committed by Dale Mardis tear at the fabric of our society, and the Memphis Office of the FBI, through its Civil Rights Task Force, will aggressively pursue those who commit such crimes, aiding victims and helping to heal communities in the process,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis FBI Field Office Amy Hess.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. FBI Special Agent Tracey Harris and former Shelby County Detective Sergeant Joe T. Everson were the lead investigators on the case. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton, III; Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen C. Parker, head of the Civil Rights Unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office; and Jonathan T. Skrmetti, who began work on the case as a Trial Attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and who is now an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis.


STORY TAGS: Dale Mardis , Mickey Wright , Shelby County , Justice DepartmentBlack News, African American News, Minority News, Civil Rights News, Discrimination, Racism, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality, Afro American News

Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News