Killing of William Kirkland in Georgia in 1930

Incident

Case summary

William Kirkland, 20, was killed in 1930 by a mob in Thomas County, Georgia. While being transferred from one jail to another, Kirkland, who was serving a sentence for horse stealing, was taken away from the sheriffs and several deputies by a mob of around 75 men. The mob hanged him to a tree and shot him. A white girl had identified Kirkland as the man who attacked her. After his lynching, the warden attested to the fact that Kirkland had been at the jail all day on the day the girl claimed she had been attacked, and that the mob had lynched the wrong man. An essay on this case, researched and authored by a CRRJ student, is available on request.

Victim(s):

William Kirkland


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals: [ ]
Perpetrator group type: posse, mob

Date of incident: 1930-09-25
Location: Thomasville, Thomas County, Georgia
Location type: public space - urban
Allegation against victim: attacking a white girl; rape

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: yes
Finding of no legal responsibility: yes

Criminal process
Arrest: [ ]
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: yes
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
death certificates - closed
news articles - closed
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