Killing of Willie Vinson in Texas in 1942

Incident

Case summary

Willie Vinson (1910-1942), a café worker, was killed by a lynch mob in Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas. Following an allegation by a white woman that a Black man had abducted and tried to rape her, Vinson came under suspicion and was shot several times. He was taken to a Black segregated hospital. A mob abducted him, dragged him from the back of a car, and hanged him. An essay on this case, researched and authored by a CRRJ student, is available on request

Victim(s):

Willie Vinson


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

Gifford Adams

C. L. Roberts

Perpetrator group type: mob

Date of incident: 1942-07-13
Location: Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas
Location type: victim's workplace
Allegation against victim: attempting to rape a white woman, Mrs. Jayson Talley

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

Criminal process
Arrest: no
Charge/indictment/information: no
Grand jury: [ ]
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]

DOJ case ID:

158260-71


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