Freedom Summer volunteers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner left together on June 21, 1964, to investigate the burning of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Neshoba County. The men were arrested and reportedly released but never returned to the COFO office. They were reported missing, and the federal government organized an intensive search to find them. Their bodies were found in a newly constructed dam on August 4, 1964, but the organizer of the murders wouldn’t be brought to justice until 2005.
Pictured: A black and white photograph of the burned car that James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner drove to investigate the church burning. The car is surrounded by trees and debris.
Credit: FBI/State of Mississippi Attorney General's Office/Getty Images
