Killing of Wilder Charles McGowan in Mississippi in 1938

Incident

Case summary

Wilder Charles McGowan, 29, a trucking business operator, was killed in 1938 by a group of men in Stone County, Mississippi. The group abducted McGowan while he was heading to work and hung him to a tree. He was alleged to have assaulted a 74-year-old white woman.

Victim(s):

Wilder Charles McGowan


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

Travis Coolie Jr.

Odell Ferrell

Jack Fitzgerald

[given name unknown] Gantt

S. L. Hinton

J. Rufus Killingsworth

Peter Lott

Peter Willie Moss

[given name unknown] Murray

Sod Rouse

John Sanders

Joe Simpson

Willie Smith

Clint Smith

Marlin Smith

Elmer Smith

Lamar Taylor

Bob Watts

Ernest Yager

Perpetrator group type: posse, police, mob

Date of incident: 1938-11-21
Location: Wiggins, Stone County, Mississippi
Location type: public space - urban
Allegation against victim: attacking a white woman; not knowing "his place"

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

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

DOJ case ID:

158260


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
correspondence
death certificates
federal agency records
news articles - closed
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