Poplarville native Mack Charles Parker was arrested on February 23, 1959, after being accused of raping June Walters, a pregnant White woman. Two days later, a White mob clad in masks and hoods kidnapped him from his jail cell. Parker was then beaten, driven to Louisiana, and shot to death. Ten days after the lynching, Parker’s body was found in the Pearl River in Louisiana. Some members of the mob admitted their participation, and the FBI did an extensive investigation. While two grand juries were convened, no arrests or indictments were ever made in the case.
Pictured: A black and white headshot of Mack Charles Parker. The photograph was taken against a white background. He is wearing a white shirt, with a tear in the left side of the collar, and is looking to something off camera.
Credit: Bettman Collection/Getty Archives
