James Byrd Jr. (May 2, 1949 – June 7, 1998) was an American man who was murdered by three men, two of whom were avowed
white supremacists, in
Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998. Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King
dragged him for 3 miles (5 kilometers) behind a Ford
pickup truck along an asphalt road. Byrd, who remained conscious for much of his ordeal, was killed about halfway through the dragging when his body hit the edge of a
culvert, severing his right arm and head. The murderers drove on for another 1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometers) before dumping his
torso in front of a black cemetery.
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