Congressman Cohen Commends Justice Department for Reopening Emmett Till Murder Case

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) commended the Justice Department for reopening the Emmett Till murder case that many say galvanized a nascent Civil Rights movement in 1955. The 14-year-old Chicago youth was killed after a white woman claimed he wolf-whistled at her in Money, Mississippi, and his admitted killers were later acquitted by an all-white jury. See Congressman Cohen speaking about the case on the House floor this morning here. He also made the following statement:

"The Emmett Till murder and the miscarriage of justice that followed are a national disgrace, so it's commendable that the Justice Department is reopening the case based on new evidence. We've known for some time that the principal witness in the case has recanted her trial testimony, so the sordid justification for the killing is no longer credible. It's too late for Emmett and his courageous late mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, but I look forward to seeing true justice done."

Congressman Cohen was a cosponsor of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act which President Obama signed into law in December 2016.