Many African Americans are unaware of the story of Emmett Till and how his murder fueled what would eventually become the “Civil Rights Movement”. Till was a 14 year old from Chicago visiting family in Money, Mississippi. Many historians believe that the brutal murder of  Emmett is what motivated black people to began fighting for equality in America.

Till arrived on August 21, 1955. On August 24, he and cousin Curtis Jones skipped church where Wright was preaching, joining some local boys as they went to Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market to buy candy. The teenagers were children of sharecroppers and had been picking cotton all day. The market was owned by a white couple, 24-year-old Roy Bryant and his wife Carolyn, and mostly catered to the local sharecropper population. Carolyn was alone in the store that day; her sister-in-law was in the rear of the store watching children. Jones left Till with the other boys while Jones played checkers across the street. According to Jones, the other boys reported that Till had a photograph of an integrated class at the school he attended in Chicago,^{[note 1]} and Till bragged to the boys that the white children in the picture were his friends. He pointed to a white girl in the picture, or referred to a picture of a white girl that had come with his new wallet,^[20] and stated that she was his girlfriend. One or more of the local boys dared Till to speak to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant.^[21]

The facts of what transpired in the store are still disputed, but according to several versions, Till may have wolf-whistled at Bryant.^[22] A newspaper account following his disappearance stated that Till sometimes whistled to alleviate his stuttering.^[23] His speech was sometimes unclear; his mother claimed he had particular difficulty with pronouncing “b” sounds, and may have whistled to overcome problems asking for bubble gum.^[24] Other stories claim Till may have grabbed Carolyn Bryant’s hand and asked her for a date, or said “Bye, baby” as he left the store,^[12] or “You needn’t be afraid of me, baby, I’ve been with white women before”.^[25] Carolyn Bryant later asserted that Till had grabbed her at the waist and asked her for a date. She said the young man also used “unprintable” words.^[26]

In any event, Carolyn Bryant was so alarmed she ran outside to a car to retrieve a pistol from under the seat. Upon seeing her do this, the teenagers left immediately.^[25] One of the other boys ran across the street to tell Curtis Jones what happened. When the older man, with whom Jones was playing checkers, heard the story, he urged the boys to leave quickly, fearing violence. Carolyn Bryant told others of the events at the store, and the story spread quickly. Jones and Till declined to tell Mose Wright, fearing they would get in trouble.^[27] Till expressed a desire to return home to Chicago. Roy Bryant was on an extended trip hauling shrimp to Texas and did not return home until August 27.^[28]

When Roy Bryant was told of what had transpired, he aggressively questioned several young black men who entered the store. That evening, Bryant, with a black man named J. W. Washington, approached a young black man walking along a road. Bryant ordered Washington to seize the young man, put him in the back of his pickup truck, and took him to be identified by an as-yet unnamed companion of Carolyn’s who had witnessed the episode with Till. Friends or parents vouched for the young men in Bryant’s store, and Carolyn’s companion denied that the young man Bryant and Washington seized was the one who had accosted her. Somehow, however, Bryant learned that the young man who had done it was from Chicago and was staying with Mose Wright.^{[note 2]} Several witnesses overheard Bryant and his 36-year-old half-brother John William “J. W.” Milam discussing taking Till from his house.^[29]

In the early morning hours—between 2:00 and 3:30—on Sunday, August 28, 1955, Roy Bryant, Milam, and another man (who may have been black) drove to Mose Wright’s house. Milam was armed with a pistol and a flashlight. He asked Wright if he had three boys in the house from Chicago. Till shared a bed with another cousin; there were eight people in the small two-bedroom cabin. Milam asked Wright to take them to “the nigger who did the talking”. When they asked Till if it was he, he replied, “Yeah”, for which they threatened to shoot him and told him to get dressed.^[12][30] The men threatened to kill Wright if he reported what he had seen. Till’s great-aunt offered the men money, but they did not respond. They put Till in the back of a pickup truck and drove to a barn at the Clint Shurden Plantation in Drew. Till was pistol-whipped and placed in the bed of the pickup truck again and covered with a tarpaulin. Throughout the course of the night, Bryant, Milam, and witnesses recall them being in several locations with Till. According to some witnesses, they took Till to a shed behind Milam’s home in the nearby town of Glendora where they beat him again and tried to decide what to do. Witnesses recall between two and four white men and two and four black men who were either in or surrounding the pickup truck where Till was seated. Others passed by Milam’s shed to the sounds of someone being beaten. Accounts differ as to when Till was shot; either in Milam’s shed or by the Tallahatchie River. He was driven to Bryant’s store where several people noticed blood pooling in the truck bed. Bryant explained he killed a deer, and in one instance showed the body to a black man who questioned him, saying “that’s what happens to smart niggers”.^[31]

In an interview with William Bradford Huie in Look magazine in 1956, Bryant and Milam stated that their intention was to beat Till and throw him off an embankment into the river to frighten him. They told Huie that while they were beating Till, however, he called them bastards, declared he was as good as they, and had in the past had sexual encounters with white women. They then put Till in the back of their truck, drove to a cotton gin to take a 70-pound (32 kg) fan—the only time they admitted to being worried, thinking that by this time in early daylight they would be spotted and accused of stealing—and drove for several miles along the river looking for a place to dispose of Till. They shot him by the river and weighted his body with the fan.^{[12][note 3]}

Mose Wright stayed on his front porch for twenty minutes waiting for Till to return. He did not go back to bed. He and another man went into Money, got gasoline, and drove around trying to find Till. Unsuccessful, they returned home by 8:00 am.^[32]After hearing from Wright he would not call the police because he feared for his life, Curtis Jones placed a call to the Leflore County sheriff and another to his mother in Chicago, who, hysterical, called Mamie Till Bradley.^[33] Wright and his wife also drove to Sumner, where Elizabeth Wright’s brother contacted the sheriff.^[34]

Bryant and Milam were questioned by Leflore County Sheriff George Smith. They admitted they had taken the boy from his great-uncle’s yard but claimed they had released him the same night in front of Bryant’s store. Bryant and Milam were arrested for kidnapping.^[35] Word got out that Till was missing, and soon Mississippi state field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Medgar Evers, and Amzie Moore, head of the Bolivar County chapter, became involved, disguising themselves as cotton pickers and going into the cotton fields in search of any information that might help find Till.^[36]

Three days after his abduction, Till’s swollen and disfigured body was found by two boys fishing in the Tallahatchie River. His head was very badly damaged, he had been shot above the right ear, an eye was dislodged from the socket, there was evidence that he had been beaten on the back and the hips, and his body weighted to the fan blade, fastened around his neck with barbed wire. He was nude, but wearing a silver ring with the initials “L. T.” and “May 25, 1943” carved in it.^{[37][note 4]}

Confusion about Till’s whereabouts and a positive identification of the body retrieved from the river compounded issues in the case that eventually influenced the trial. Hodding Carter in theDelta Democrat-Times, a local Mississippi newspaper, reported that Till may have been hidden by his relatives or perhaps returned to Chicago for his safety.^[38] The body’s face was unrecognizable due to trauma and the result of being submerged in water. Mose Wright was called to the river and identified Till. The silver ring Till wore was removed and returned to Wright, and further passed to the district attorney. Stories from witnesses, both black and white, conflict about whether the ring was on Till’s body and who knew he had worn it previously.^[39]

The town of Sumner in Tallahatchie County served as the venue for the trial as the body had been found there. Sumner had only one boarding house and the small town was besieged by reporters from all over the country. David Halberstam called it “the first great media event of the civil rights movement”.^[55] A reporter who had covered the trials for Bruno Hauptmann andMachine Gun Kelly remarked that this was the most publicity for any trial he had ever seen.^[25] No hotels were available for black visitors. Mamie Till Bradley arrived to testify and the trial also attracted black congressman Charles Diggs from Michigan. Bradley, Diggs, and several black reporters stayed at Howard’s home in Mound Bayou, which, on a large lot surrounded by Howard’s armed guards, resembled a compound. The day before the start of the trial, a young black man named Frank Young arrived to tell Howard he knew of two witnesses to the crime. Levi “Too Tight” Collins and Henry Lee Loggins were black employees of Leslie Milam, J. W.’s brother, in whose shed Till was beaten. Collins and Loggins were spotted with J. W. Milam, Bryant, and Till. The prosecution team was unaware of Collins and Loggins. Sheriff Strider, however, booked them into the Charleston, Mississippi jail to keep them from testifying.^[56]

The trial was held in September 1955, lasting for five days and attendees remember it being very hot. The courtroom was filled to its 280-spectator capacity, and as a matter of course racially segregated.^[57] Press from major national newspapers attended, including black publications; black reporters were made to sit segregated from the white press, farther from the jury. Sheriff Strider welcomed black spectators coming back from lunch with a cheerful, “Hello, Niggers!”^[58] Some visitors from the North found the court to be run with surprising informality. Jury members were allowed to drink beer on duty and many white men in the audience wore handguns holstered to their belts.^[59]

Ernest Withers defied the judge’s orders prohibiting photography during the trial to document Mose Wright standing to identify J. W. Milam, which “signified intimidation of Delta blacks was no longer as effective as the past”^[60] and Wright had “crossed a line that no one could remember a black man ever crossing in Mississippi”.^[61]

The defense’s primary strategy was arguing that the body pulled from the river could not be positively identified and they questioned whether Till was dead at all. The defense asserted that Bryant and Milam had taken Till, but had let him go. They furthermore attempted to prove that Mose Wright—who was addressed as “Uncle Mose” by the prosecution and “Mose” by the defense—could not identify Bryant and Milam as the men who took Till from his cabin. Only Milam’s flashlight was in use, and no other lights in the house were turned on. Milam and Bryant identified themselves to Wright the evening they took Till—the third man did not speak—but Wright only saw Milam clearly. Wright’s testimony was considered remarkably courageous and a first in the state for a black man implicating the guilt of a white man in court. Journalist James Hicks, who worked for the black news wire service National News Association, was present in the courtroom and was especially impressed that Wright stood to identify Milam, pointing to him and saying “Thar he” (There he is),^{[note 7]} calling it a historic moment and one filled with “electricity”.^[62] A writer for the New York Post noted that following his identification Wright sat “with a lurch which told better than anything else the cost in strength to him of the thing he had done”.^[63] A reporter who covered the trial for the New Orleans Times-Picayune stated it was “the most dramatic thing I saw in my career”.^[64]

Mamie Till Bradley testified that she instructed her son to watch his manners in Mississippi and that should a situation ever come to his being asked to get on his knees to ask forgiveness of a white person, he should do it without a thought. The defense questioned her identification of her son in the casket in Chicago and a $400 life insurance policy she had taken out on him.^[65]

While the trial progressed, Leflore County Sheriff George Smith, Howard, and several reporters, both black and white, attempted to locate Collins and Loggins. They could not, but found three witnesses who had seen Collins and Loggins with Milam and Bryant on Leslie Milam’s property. Two of them testified that they heard someone being beaten, blows, and cries.^[65] One testified so quietly the judge ordered him several times to speak louder, he heard the victim call out, “Mama, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.”^[66] Judge Curtis Swango allowed Carolyn Bryant to testify, but not in front of the jury, after the prosecution objected that her testimony was irrelevant to Till’s abduction and murder. It may have been leaked in any case to the jury. Sheriff Strider testified for the defense his theory that Till was alive, the body retrieved from the river was white, and a doctor from Greenwood stated on the stand that the body was too decomposed to identify, and therefore had been in the water too long for it to be Till.^[67]

In the concluding statements, one prosecuting attorney admitted that what Till did was wrong, but it warranted a spanking, not murder. Gerald Chatham passionately called for justice and mocked the sheriff and doctor’s statements that alluded to a conspiracy. Mamie Bradley indicated she was very impressed with his summation.^[68] The defense stated that the prosecution’s theory of the events the night Till was murdered were improbable, and said the jury’s “forefathers would turn over in their graves” if they convicted Bryant and Milam. Only three outcomes were possible in Mississippi for capital murder: life imprisonment, the death penalty, or acquittal. On September 23 the jury acquitted both defendants after a 67-minute deliberation; one juror said, “If we hadn’t stopped to drink pop, it wouldn’t have taken that long.”^[69]

In post-trial analyses, blame for the outcome varied. Mamie Till Bradley was criticized for not crying enough on the stand. The jury was noted to have been picked almost exclusively from the hill country section of Tallahatchie County, which, due to its poorer economic make-up found whites and blacks competing for land and other agrarian opportunities. Unlike the population living closer to the river (and thus closer to Bryant and Milam in Leflore County) who possessed a noblesse oblige toward blacks according to historian Stephen Whitaker, those in the eastern part of the county were remarkably virulent in their racism. The prosecution was criticized for dismissing any potential juror who knew Milam or Bryant, for the fear that such a juror would vote to acquit. Afterward, Whitaker noted that this was a mistake as anyone who had personally known the defendants usually disliked them.^[25][68] One juror voted twice to convict, but on the third discussion, acquiesced and voted with the rest of the jury to acquit.^[70] In later interviews, the jurors acknowledged that they knew Bryant and Milam were guilty, but simply did not believe that life imprisonment or the death penalty fit punishment for whites who had killed a black man.^[71] This is somewhat disputed by later interviews with two jurors who stated as late as 2005 that they believed the defense’s case, that the prosecution had not proven that Till had died and that it was his body that was removed from the river.^[70]

In November 1955 a grand jury declined to indict Bryant and Milam for kidnapping, despite the testimony given that they had admitted taking Till. Mose Wright and a young man named Willie Reed, who testified to seeing Milam enter the shed where screams and blows came from, both testified in front of the grand jury.^[72] T. R. M. Howard paid to relocate Wright, Reed, and another black witness who testified against Milam and Bryant, to Chicago.^[68]

Although racially motivated murders had occurred throughout the South for decades, the circumstances surrounding Emmett Till grew beyond the details of a 14-year-old boy who had unknowingly defied a severe social caste system. Till’s murder brought considerations about segregation, law enforcement, relations between the North and South, the social status quo in Mississippi, the NAACP, White Citizens’ Councils, and the Cold War, all of which were played out in a drama staged in newspapers all over the U.S. and abroad.^[40] When Till went missing, a three-paragraph story was printed in the Greenwood Commonwealth and quickly picked up by other Mississippi newspapers. They reported on his death when the body was found, and the next day when a picture of him his mother had taken the previous Christmas showing them smiling together, appeared in the Jackson Daily News and Vicksburg Evening Post, editorials and letters to the editor were printed expressing shame at the people who had caused Till’s death. One read “Now is the time for every citizen who loves the state of Mississippi to ‘Stand up and be counted’ before hoodlum white trash brings us to destruction.” The letter went on to state that Negroes were not the downfall of Mississippi society, but whites like those in White Citizens’ Councils that condoned violence.^[41] Till’s body was clothed, packed in lime, and put in a pine coffin and prepared for burial. It may have been embalmed while in Mississippi. Mamie Till Bradley demanded the body be sent to Chicago; she later stated she endeavored to halt an immediate burial in Mississippi and called several local and state authorities in Illinois and Mississippi to make sure her son was returned to Chicago.^[42] A doctor did not examine Till post-mortem.^[43] Mississippi’s governor, Hugh L. White, deplored the murder, asserting that local authorities should pursue a “vigorous prosecution”. He sent a telegram to the national offices of the NAACP promising a full investigation and assuring them “Mississippi does not condone such conduct”. Delta residents, both black and white, also distanced themselves from Till’s murder, finding the circumstances abhorrent. Local newspaper editorials denounced the murderers without question.^[25][44] Leflore County Deputy Sheriff John Cothran stated, “The white people around here feel pretty mad about the way that poor little boy was treated, and they won’t stand for this.”^[45] Soon, however, discourse about Till’s murder became more complex. Robert Patterson, executive secretary of the segregationist White Citizens’ Council lamented Till’s death by reiterating that racial segregation policies were in force for blacks’ safety and that their efforts were being neutralized by the NAACP. In response, NAACP executive secretary Roy Wilkins characterized the incident as a lynching and stated that Mississippi was attempting to maintain white supremacy through murder, and “there is in the entire state no restraining the influence of decency, not in the state capital, among the daily newspapers, the clergy, nor any segment of the so-called better citizens”.^[46] Mamie Till Bradley told a reporter that she would seek legal aid to help law enforcement find her son’s killers and that the State of Mississippi should share the financial responsibility. She was misquoted; it came out as “Mississippi is going to pay for this”.^[47]

Till's mother insisted on an open casket to show the world how racist white men in the south had brutally murdered and mutilated her son's body. Images printed in black publications The Chicago Defender and Jet magazine of Till made international news and directed attention to the rights of the blacks in the U.S. South.

The A. A. Rayner Funeral Home in Chicago received Till’s body, and upon arrival, Bradley insisted on viewing it to make a positive identification, later stating that the stench from it was noticeable two blocks away.^[48] She decided to have an open casket funeral, saying “There was just no way I could describe what was in that box. No way. And I just wanted the world to see.”^[36] Tens of thousands of people lined the street outside the mortuary to view Till’s body, and days later thousands more attended his funeral at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. Photographs of his mutilated corpse circulated around the country, notably appearing in Jet magazine and The Chicago Defender, both black publications, and drew intense public reaction. According to The Nation and Newsweek, Chicago’s black community was “aroused as it has not been over any similar act in recent history”.^{[49][note 5]} Till was buried September 6 in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. News about Emmett Till spread to both coasts. Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley and Illinois Governor William Stratton also became involved, urging Governor White to see that justice be done. The tone in Mississippi newspapers changed dramatically. They falsely reported riots in the funeral home in Chicago. Bryant and Milam appeared in photos taken a decade before of them smiling in their military uniforms and Carolyn Bryant’s beauty and virtue were extolled. Rumors of an invasion of outraged blacks and northern whites were printed throughout the state so that the Leflore County sheriff took them seriously. Local businessman, surgeon, and civil rights proponent T. R. M. Howard, one of the wealthiest blacks in the state, warned of a “second civil war” if “slaughtering of Negroes” was allowed.^[50] Following Wilkins’ comments, white opinion began to shift. According to historian Stephen Whitfield, a specific brand of xenophobia in the South was particularly strong in Mississippi, urging whites to reject the influence of Northern opinion and agitation.^[51] This independent attitude was profound enough in Tallahatchie County that it earned the nickname “The Freestate of Tallahatchie”, according to a former sheriff, “because people here do what they damn well please”, making the county often difficult to govern.^[52] Consequently, Tallahatchie County Sheriff Clarence Strider, who initially positively identified Till’s body and stated that the case against Milam and Bryant was “pretty good”, on September 3 announced his doubts that the body pulled from the Tallahatchie River was Till’s, who he speculated, was probably still alive. The body, according to Strider, was planted by the NAACP: a cadaver stolen by T. R. M. Howard, who colluded to place Till’s ring on it.^[53] Strider was motivated to change after the comments made in the press about the people of Mississippi, later saying, “The last thing I wanted to do was to defend those peckerwoods. But I just had no choice about it.”^{[25][note 6]} Bryant and Milam were indicted for murder, despite the reservations of the grand jury’s prosecuting attorney, Hamilton Caldwell, who was not confident a conviction would ever be returned in a case of white violence against a black male accused of insulting a white woman. A local black paper was surprised at the indictment and praised the decision, as did the New York Times. The high profile comments made in Northern newspapers and by the NAACP concerned the prosecuting attorney, Gerald Chatham, who worried that they would not be able to secure a guilty verdict, even with the evidence they had. Initially, with limited funds, Bryant and Milam had difficulty finding attorneys to represent them, but five attorneys at a Sumner law firm offered their services pro bono.^[51] Collection jars were placed in stores and other public places in the Delta, eventually gathering $10,000 for the defense.

The Peoples Champion

Black History Month Series

I’m David Adams

Danisha McIntosh, former girlfriend of Dorian Carpentor and close friend of Glenton Johnson who tweeted about a dam months before the body of Phylicia Barnmes was discovered at the Conowingo Dam in Northern Maryland.

By now many within the public have derived at their personal conclusions as to who they believe is responsible for the killing of Honors Teen Phylicia Barnes, and I believe the cops have also come to some degree of finality as well. The only problem is gathering enough information to convince a State’s Attorney to proceed with prosecution based on the evidence the cops have obtained thus far. We are all unaware what evidence the cops just may have in the case. The long drawn out ordeal has sparked disgust and frustration about the case to the extent that many within the public are losing interest in the pretty little girl’s story. I also have concerns given the volume of information about the case that the public has brought forward and even-handed over to the police. Though I’m sure Cell Phone records, Social Media comments, and other elements on record offer a very compelling scenario regarding who may be responsible, there are some aspects of the case that the police can actually move on.

The nude images of Phylicia with adults is something that the cops most certainly can use to bring people in and get them talking. The alcohol and drugs are another aspect of the case that cops can use to reek havoc on those who were either there on December 28, 2010, or who were regulars at Deena Barnes’ apartment. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a valid charge to bring people in. The timeline of events offered by Michael Johnson, Deena and others have been in all actuality, shot down by their own Comments on Social Media, and documents that have been made public. These are all good leads that could get folks to start talking. Also, the close proximity of where Phylicia was found at the Conowingo Dam in relationship to the location where Glenton Johnson lives, and where Tabitha Fickling (Michael Johnson’s new girl friend that is believed to be who he was moving in with when Phylicia went missing) lived, is far too convenient. It’s a near straight shot from the Rolling Road and Rolling Bend Road locations to Conowingo Maryland where the chi8ld’s body was discovered.

The fact that Michael was the last person to see Phylicia alive, coupled with potential circumstantial evidence may prove he was more than likely with Glenton Johnson (Younger brother) prior to the time he said he last saw her, and the two may also have been traveling in the Rolling Road  area the exact same time. None the less, a Prosecutor could make a hell of a summation during trial that the two are the ones who took the child’s body to the dam. I am unsure what the investigative strategy is in solving this case, and I don’t know why cops haven’t utilized these avenues to bring people in. Perhaps there is something we are missing that make us all seem too presumptuous about making an arrest. I don’t know about many of these things and just like many within the public, I remain clueless as to where the case stands now. However, there is one element of this case that I believe I am not in the dark about. The Tweets from Danisha McIntosh,  “It’s trapped at the dam don’t pull the lever”, remains the most solid piece of evidence that cops may have stumbled upon throughout this entire murder mystery.

The Tweet was made on January 28, 2011, one month after Phylicia went missing, and nearly 3 months before she was discovered in the Susquehanna river near the Conowingo Dam. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out she knows something about this case. Her relationship with Glenton and Dorian Carpenter, two of the males initially questioned by police about this murder, is explosive and she must be questioned. I am unaware at this time whether cops have finally spoken to her, but if they have, no stones should have been left unturned. There isn’t any rationalization she could offer, in my opinion, that could explain her reference to a dam considering what we all know now. I know cops sometimes like to take the soft approach, not coming off too harsh toward potential witnesses in hopes of winning the person’s cooperation, but hell if that fails and she becomes uncooperative, then all cards should be pulled off the table.

She needs to be arrested. If for no other provocation other than to hold her as a material witness. The cops could even charge her with obstruction of justice. He statement is compelling, she knows something, and the cops have to escalate their efforts to get the information they need from her. They need to hold her for at least 72 hours. Let her get a feeling of what life will be like at the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women (MCIW) or some other state Correctional Facility where she could possibly spend the rest of her life behind bars. It’s time to stop playing with those who may have information to solve this case. Young women who like to associate with hood rats or aspire to be a “ride or die chick'” like the hip-hop song goes, can ride and die in jail right along with these murderous bastards.  I’m convinced that she is the key to solving this murder case. Get her, bring her in, hold her there until she talks, and for God sake do it before she ends up in a body bag like young Phylicia Simone Barnes.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

Small tot "baby Joshua Davis" pictured with his mom Sabrina Benitez

A tragic story that began on February 4, 2011 has become even more saddening as the New Braunsfel, Texas Police Department issued a statement saying that, “their child is probably deceased”. This late breaking news is disturbing because authorities have not made an arrest in the case nor offered an explanation as to why they believe the tot has come to a tragic ending. Baby Joshua’s story gained little media attention since the night he vanished from his Texas home without a trace. The story angers many who have followed the case and has left doubt about the accuracy of what the child’s family told police that night. Baby Joshua some how disappeared while there were 8 adults in the house during the time the tot’s mom says she noticed him missing. Federal, State, Local, and even the Texas Rangers Police Authorities have combed the 2,500 populated trailer home community without obtaining a single clue about what may have happened to the child. Police say there isn’t even evidence to suggest that the child might have been abducted by someone. The Bizarre disappearance of  an 18 month old baby during the winter months has cops thinking the family is directly responsible for what ever happened to the baby. Though the family continuously convey their innocence, they continue to publicly say they believe he is alive. However, the police think otherwise.  Lt. Stephen Hanna of the New Braunfels Police Department says, “The investigators have essentially confronted the family, basically saying that we are fairly certain that something has happened, that their was an accident inside the house and that something happened to the child.”  Hanna also believes that someone is not being honest from that night. Hanna said, “The seven individuals that were in the house that night, one of them or numerous of them know what happened and have been misleading investigators as to what happened to the child.” There are many people who believe the cops are accurate. The initial statements from Sabrina Benitez, the tot’s mom, opened the door for suspicion from the very start. Chiefly, her account that she jumped up to go looking for Joshua after he had only been out of her sight for 10 minutes. Many feel the fact that she immediately went into panic mode after such a short time period, tends to indicate that something may have happened in the home to cause the mom to develop concern for the safety of her baby. Also, her word usage during her earlier comments like “the grand father” and “the baby”, shows distance and separation. The fact that she describes the events of that night while referring to her own son as “the baby” angers the public. It’s perceived that a mother innately displays clarity when identifying their child in the wake of  such an emergency pertaining to the whereabouts and safety of not just their kids, but children in general. Moreover, while the public is disturbed by her statements, it’s completely unimaginable that a small child like baby Joshua could simply vanish while there are numerous adults in the home at the time. Perhaps an active tot “busy” as ever in a a crowded living environment may offer clues to what really happened that night. This is a very sad , yet incredible story in which many continue to seek answers. View recent media coverage here Baby Joshua Update.

From left, Joshua Davis sr. and Sabrina Benitez, the parents of missing tot Joshua Davis, handing out fliers seeking the public's help locating their missing child.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

18 month old Joshua Davis went missing from his New Braynfels, Texas home February 4, 2011 while 9 adults were present at the time of the child's disappearance.

As February 4th approaches there is sadly still no clues in the disappearance of 18 month old Joshua Davis who mysteriously went missing from his New Braunfels, Texas home , where he lived with his mom, and strangely with 9 adults present when the small tot simply vanished into thin air. The child’s disappearance occurred during the winter months and his mom says she has been baffled how the baby could have wandered off with icy conditions around the house. The family called police 10 minutes after they say they noticed the child was nowhere to be found. Sabrina Benitez, the tot’s mom says she became alarmed when “the baby” wandered off while they were watching a movie,”Toy story”. She initially went to “the grandfather’s” room where another baby that young Joshua “was interested in” was. She began to question the other adults about the baby’s location, while no one had seem the baby, that’s when she says she sounded the alarm, and called police. In the early stages of the investigation it was widely believed that baby Joshua wandered off. That theory led to a massive search in and around the 2,500 mobile home populated community in an effort to locate the child. There has never been any sign of the tot, and no indication that someone abducted the child. Just a few months into the investigation, local police solicited the assistance of Federal, State, and Texas Rangers Authorities. The new investigative efforts took on an entirely different direction in finding out what happened to baby Joshua Davis. The Authorities have since revisited the child’s home and collected items from the back yard. Though the child’s mother and family deny any wrong doing in the case, the mother’s initial comments has garnered criticism and suspicion from many within the public who have been following the case. During a Nancy Grace broadcast, the only National Media the child’s disappearance received, analyst have expressed that there clearly appears to be an element of deception in the mom’s story surrounding the night her toddler simply disappeared. View the Nancy Grace Transcript here. One aspect of the case pertaining to the mother’s initial statement that caught my immediate attention, is that she claims to have been watching “Toy Story” with the child and ten minutes had gone by without her having saw Joshua, and she states she “jumped up” to go looking for him. Jumping up tends to infer a sense of urgency. It’s interesting that the mom would become alarmed in a home with 8 other adults there with her, unless there was some event that raised alarm on her part about her child’s safety. There was one person who reportedly had been coming and going from the home, and the fact there is no sign of Joshua tends to offer the perspective that someone in the home either did something to the child or removed him from that house. The mother has admitted the baby wasn’t even tall enough to open any of the doors to the house and that they had been secured all day. These details Sabrina Benitez offer are fuels an opinion that something happened to baby Joshua Davis within their home and somebody knows something about it. However, the child’s family did a Blogtalk Interview on “Peas In Their Pod” last night and have continued to deny any wrong doing. Listen to the “Peas Broadcast” here. With the lack of National Media attention related to the plight of missing children of color, it is imperative that the Black Community began a grass-roots effort to locate our kids, do what we most certainly can, and must do for ourselves. Ms. Janice Lowery, Chief Executive Officer for “Peas In Their Pods” has contacted me for assistance in bringing more National Media Attention to Baby Joshua Davis, and other missing children within our communities. I am willing and prepared to Champion for closure, and safe return of these babies to their families.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The People’s Champion Blog site visitor statistics revealed that 2011 brought followers from every continent on the planet earth to the site except Antarctica. To further promote the site’s International Following, I have instituted a new Global Translator feature. The feature which is located in the sidebar to the right, will now allow followers from various other nations to translate the entire blog to their native language with just one click. Simply look for your National Flag, click it, and enjoy reading in your native tongue. TPC is continuing to add more features for the benefit of followers who continuously support the blog and what the site’s Authors have to say. We thank you for your continued support.

The clock continues to tick in the year old Murder Mystery of Monroe, N.C. Honors Student Phylicia Barnes. It seems the public can only wait now for some new revelation regarding what happened to young Simone. The authority’s stringent silence of details in the case has turned some followers of this crime into virtual detectives. Citizens with knowledge about many associated with the Barnes and Johnson families have spent hours documenting addresses, the names of relatives, Social Media comments, and other particulars that are relevant to the time period of when Simone first went missing. The People’s Champion has received emails from as far as the state of California from concerned people within the public, simply because they refuse to let the little girl’s murder go unsolved. Though I am grateful for those interested parties having forwarded information they believe to be pertinent in solving this crime, I must reiterate that I am not an actual investigator of the Phylicia Barnes Murder. I must make this crystal clear because some of what I have obtain are in fact details that should rightfully be in the hands of Police actively investigating this case. I have already personally contacted Investigative Authorities working this case with information that I have received from TPC followers. The information I provided had already been obtained by the Police, but it speaks volumes about how Social Media, and other non conventional investigative tools can impact crime in the age of modern technology. So please do not hesitate to provide information that may aide in discovering who is responsible for this senseless crime. Individuals within the public wishing to provide information about this murder should forward what information they have to the Maryland State Police which is the leading Investigative Authority currently working the Phylicia Barnes murder. Regardless of how small or minute many may believe their information is, it should be given to Police for their discretion of the relevance such knowledge may contain about this killing. You may contact Detective David Feltman directly to provide information you believe is related to this case. All information provided will remain in the strictest confidence. Recently a TPC Follower emailed information about a Twitter Account belonging to a reported Johnson associate. Some of the tweets made around the time when young Simone first went missing are disturbing to say the very least. One tweet may confirm that the child’s body was actually moved when the killers learned that the Police planned a massive search for the little girl in a Maryland State Park. The mysterious tweet was made one day after News Media announced the planned search. The TPC Staff is working on this information to ascertain the correct name of the Tweeter and his direct relationship to persons of interest in this murder case. Stay tuned as details are developing at this time.

The People’s Champion
I’m David Adams

Though I suspect that the William “Krazy” Johnson poster who recently emerged on the TPC Blog may be a female imposter, that person appeared to have knowledge about the Phylicia Barnes murder case. Some of the comments the poster made in the TPC Chat Room the other night did shed light on some interesting details about where people were on December 28, 2010. It has been widely known that Michael Johnson is on record having stated the last time he saw the studious teen was at 1:30 p.m. that day. This has been confirmed by his own comments on Facebook and by the sequence of events listed on the Dec. 28 “itinerary” that Deena Barnes gave to Janice Sallis-Mustafa when she arrived in Baltimore on December 30, 2010.

During the chat session I personally asked the poster who was “ease”. A person called “ease” was mentioned in the suspicious tweets by the Twitter username “Lil_Senca” (Glenton Johnson) on Dec. 28. Glenton was apparently traveling via car in the Rolling Road area and his constant reference to “Rolling Road is gay” indicates he was in congested traffic. This is confirmed when he tweets, “just a busy ass street for no reason”. The tweet also indicates he has become impatient with the slow-moving traffic and is in a hurry to get to his destination. A few minutes later at 12:51 p.m. Glenton tweets “hurry up and buy” indicating that he and those driving with him may have stopped at a local establishment to make a purchase. At 12:59 p.m. Glenton tweets to “AYOKrazie” (William Johnson), “yo me an ease mixed some grass in da hookah dat shyt had me stupid high like my second time smokin–”. From the language depicted in this tweet, we see the name “ease” referenced and that they are now probably smoking marijuana.

Tweets from December 28, 2010

12-28 12:48 pm Glenton twitter~~>Rollin rd is gay
12-28 12:49 pm Glenton twitter Just a busy ass street for no reason–
12-28 12:51 pm Glenton twitter~~> Hurry up an buy!–
12-28 12:53 pm Glenton twitter~~> –My screen protector is pillin an shyt it got hair all in it
an bubbles, smh–
12-28 12:59 pm Glenton twitter~~> –@AYOKrazie yo me an ease mixed some grass in da
hookah dat shyt had me stupid high like my second time smokin–

Now getting back to the question I posed to the William Johnson TPC blog poster from the other night in the chatroom. I specifically asked the poster who was “ease” and the poster indicated that “ease” was Michael Johnson. The poster stated that “ease” was a name he thinks MJ acquired from an Xbox game.

Chat Room Comments 1/10/12

goddbody
6:53 PM
william who is ease
William Johnson
6:53 PM
mike
goddbody
6:53 PM
ease is mike william?
Blu Sky
6:53 PM
How Mike get that nickname
William Johnson
6:54 PM
from a gamertag
i think so anyway
like for xbox
Blu Sky
6:54 PM
okay
Are u okay William?

Assuming that “ease” is in fact Michael Johnson as the poster indicated, it’s very telling and problematic for Michael. This clearly demonstrates that Michael was in the car near the Rolling Road area when Glenton made the tweets about smoking grass in the “hooka”. At 1:03 p.m. out of no where Glenton’s tweets turn violent. He tweets “Whoop her ass #ladyinthestore–”, and again 20 minutes later Glenton tweets “**** dat don’t tella twice whopp her ass–”. None of his previous tweets within the past hour indicated that there was any kind of confrontation what so ever, and the subject tweets are not only mysterious, but leaves the door wide open to assume that Glenton was referring to young Phylicia Simone Barnes. This perspective is a logical conclusion because MJ was in fact with Glenton in the car as indicated by his previous tweets.

The security Square area near Rolling Road where Glenton indicated he was located by his tweets is in close proximity to Deena Barnes’ Northwest Baltimore apartment, and the fact that he and MJ were obviously traveling together sends a very strong and compelling argument as to what may have happened to Phylicia Barnes during this time period. At 1:29 p.m. Glenton tweets “My speakers hit harder in da summer time–”. This is very disturbing that Glenton is discussing the volume of speakers when considering Deena Barnes’ door to her apartment was found ajar with music blaring inside and Phylicia nowhere to be found. These facts are just too coincidental and very compelling. A Prosecutor could make a strong case placing both Michael and Glenton Johnson at Deena Barnes’ apartment around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 which is when MJ says he last saw this child. Michael may have lied about the last time he actually saw Phylicia or the child more than likely was with him in Glenton’s car on rolling Road at 1:30 p.m. that day.

Many people within the public believe that thee “whoop her ass” comment was referencing measures to control and subdue an uncooperative Phylicia Barnes. Moreover, if we consider that the location of Glenton and Michael being near the Rolling Road, Rolling Bend Rd area (where Glenton lives according to the William Johnson poster), and assuming MJ was possibly relocating to his new girlfriend’s (Tabatha Fickling) place (Bend Ct Windsor Mill, MD 21244, exact same area near Glenton’s home across the street from Security Square Mall), we find that the area is prime in association to where the body of Phylicia Barnes’ was discovered in the Susquehanna River. Take a look at the map below:

Using MapQuest

Creating a trip with point A (starting point) being Rolling Road Apartments, 7146 Rolling Bend Rd, Windsor Mill, MD 21244, across the street from Security Square Mall in the area where Glenton Johnson reportedly lives

and

Point B (Susquehanna River Reservoir, Conowingo, MD) ending in the area of the location of Phylicia Barnes’ body discovery. We see a scary parallel. Click image to enlarge.

Map Quest image depicts the area where Glenton Johnson made tweets on Rolling Road and the near straight shot to the Conowingo Dam where the body of Phylicia Barnes was discovered.

The MapQuest route is shocking when we consider that there was a gap in the Tweets by the entire Johnson Clan from 1:33 p.m. when William Johnson asked if “ease” (Michael Johnson) smoked the grass (marijuana) in the “hooka”, until 3:24 p.m. when Glenton tweets again about it being hot inside where ever he was located . Notice the tweet comments highlighted in red below:

12-28 1:03 pm Glenton twitter~~> –Whoop her ass #ladyinthestore–
12-28 1:23 pm Glenton twitter~~> –**** dat don’t tella twice whopp her ass–
12-28 1:29 pm Glenton twitter~~> –My speakers hit harder in da summer time–
12-28 1:33 pm William twitter~~~>@Lil_Senca damn for real! Ease hit it too?
12-28 3:24 pm Glenton tweet Hot as shyt in here
12-28 3:31 pm Kevin Johnson Tweet Watch wat u tweet. “the man” is watching.. lok

It is approximately a 1 hour and 11 minute trip in each direction to and from the Dam where the Map Quest starting point begins on Rolling Bend Road, which was ample enough time to make a trip to Conowingo, Maryland and almost return to the Rolling area. Strangely a tweet was made by Kevin Johnson( the brother of William Johnson and cousin of Glenton and Michael Johnson) with a warning to watch what they tweet. This suspicious tweet demonstrates that Kevin knew that Glenton and the occupants (we don’t know exactly who was with Glenton and Michael in the car) of his car had something to hide or didn’t want their comments reviewed by the Police later on to say the least. Also, Glenton’s tweet about his phone battey dieing appears to be some sort of code to Kevin, who followed with a tweet praising Glenton in street jargon.

12-28 3:32 pm Glenton tweet @Chocolatewastd I told yu my fone was dying
12-28 3:35 pm Glenton Tweet My battery bout dead, useless as fone, #pos
12-28 3:38 pm Kevin Johnson Tweet See @Lil_Senca thats my muthafuckin nigga (flaka
voice)

Whether Glenton’s phone was functioning or not it doesn’t matter as far as Geo Mapping is concerned with Global Positioning Technology. He could have left the battery at home and took only the phone and there would still be a digital footprint of his location as he traveled. What many people are completely unaware of is that since 1996 the Federal Government established a law requiring all cell phone manufactures in the U.S. institute GPS tracking for cell phones sold in this country. The mindset was that Police Authorities need to know the origin of every call for Public Safety purposes. Even if any cell phone, baring the old analog phones of course, were void of power from a battery, the device itself continues to seek towers for a signal, and those cell phone “pings” are registered in the tower’s digital data history as required by law.

So, if any of the persons involved in the killing of young Phylicia Barnes were in fact in the area of the Conowingo Dam and had a cell phone on their person, the cops more than likely know about it by now, and it will be extremely damaging information for the defense during summation in the prosecution of those responsible for killing Phylicia. Cutting a cell phone off doesn’t stop GPS tracking, and those involved probably were completely unaware of this  technical element of the case. I firmly believe that the federal Government has already established who the killer(s) are and are now simply dotting I’s and crossing T’s to develop a strong case. I don’t care what any member of the Johnson family may say, the scenario I have described is extremely alarming, logical, and compelling. The location of these tweets, it’s relationship to the distance of the dam, the suspicious near 2 hour silence from any of them, and the warning by KJ later on is very problematic. I believe some of these details may go a long way in solving the Murder Case of Phylicia Simone Barnes, and just may put them away forever.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

On Tuesday January 10, 2012 a TPC Follower identifying himself as William “Krazy” Johnson emerged in the Chat Room on this blog attempting to clear his name. The person remained in the Chat Room for hours fielding questions related to the Phylicia Simone Barnes murder case. Though this individual’s presence gained interest from other blog followers, it is my personal belief that the person is in fact not William. It is also my personal belief that the person may be related or associated with him and the Johnson family based on the knowledge of the case that he conveyed. The writing style has been examined and it is believed that the person(s) making comments on this blog under that name is more than likely of a feminine origin.  Since the arrival of this person within our community they have relentlessly attempted to disrupt our intended focus of obtaining justice for Phylicia Barnes and her family.  The person also expressed their emergence was in fact generated by a recent article where I introduced Danisha McIntosh’s January 28, 2010 Tweet, “is s trapped at the dam don’t pull the lever” as a very vital element of the investigation of this case. I find it odd that after all this time, all that we have discussed here on TPC, and everything that has been learned about this murder in the media, that a member of the Johnson family would make a debut response on this blog in the wake of that subject tweet being made public to a national audience. Furthermore, the person(s) identifying themself  as William Johnson has attempted to be deceptive when certain questions were posed. The night of the chat session, the WKJ poster was asked to confirm their location. The Geo Mapping indigenous to the software utilized to run the blog placed the WKJ poster as having an Internet Protocol Address (I.P.) originating from New York. The poster denied this and said he was in fact in the State of Maryland. When challenged on this subject, the poster rationalized that there must be an error with the software of the blog. A poll of other users present during this exchange established that their locations were in fact being properly indicated.  In fact the WKJ poster was the only person whose Geo Mapping was inaccurate according to that poster. Certainly it isn’t of any significance where the origin of followers and users derive from as everyone is welcomed to participate, but the fact that the WKJ poster apparently displayed dishonesty creates a serious integrity issue which cast doubt on the authenticity of the person being who they claimed to be. Also, when discussing the Danisha McIntosh tweet, the poster said that he believed that the word dam in the tweet was a typo. He didn’t speak with her directly about, but assumed it was a typo. He expressed that he believed the word should have been damn instead. This thinking demonstrates that the WKJ poster can’t really be taken seriously. The WKJ poster has been in chats, attempting to post comments on articles, and literally stalking my personal email account feverishly attempting to disrupt what we have publicly brought to the forefront about this case. The continuous reference to civil litigation by this person has worn out and if that is their intent, they should simply pursue those aspirations or just shut up. Fear of civil reprisal for our work here will not deter us from the truth. It is our personal belief that members of the Johnson family are in fact complicit in what ever happened to young Phylicia Barnes and it’s our prerogative to make that known publicly. Whether or not I personally think William Johnson and members of his family are involved in this case is not important. This case is not about me nor has it ever been. This case is about finding justice and getting killer(s) off the streets. However, these are not the reasons that I am imposing a ban on the WKJ poster. My reasons are as follows:

1. I am the Founder and Administrator of “The People’s Champion” Blog and I reserve the right to terminate participation of  anyone as I see fit without warning or explanation for doing so.

2. The WKJ poster’s comments and position are strongly in contrast to the focus and position of many of the followers who frequent this site on a regular basis and the presence of such dialogue contradicts our purpose, and is a conflict of interest to our goal.

3. The mother of the late Phylicia Simone Barnes is a registered user and active member of this blog. The WKJ poster continues to display laughter in his discourse and I refuse to create a platform for such insensitivity to be displayed as long as she is a member of this community.

Lastly, the WKJ poster charges that we have told untruths about his familyand claims to want to set the record straight. I encourage who ever this person is to find another venue to voice their opinions becausde it just simply will not be permitted to be expressed here.

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

It’s been a long journey for the Barnes and Mustafa Families seeking justice for the senseless killing of their beautiful daughter. Her case has dragged on unsolved, her killers remain at large, and the public has not forgotten what happen to a promising child who brought so much joy into the lives of everyone she came in contact with. We have learned so much about this case throughout an entire year, waiting patiently for an arrest, and the public’s suspicion continues to linger around many of those who were closest to Phylicia in Baltimore. Many of our concerns primarily stem from the silence from key people who may have knowledge about the case that could aid in resolving this horrific crime. People who never even bothered to look for the child during her disappearance. People who say they didn’t help because the cops were questioning them. People who say they loved this child as their own family. More importantly, some of these same people who gave her drugs and alcohol. People who ran around nude in and out of her sister’s house with her. The same people who have now emerged thinking that the public’s perception of them must be changed simply because they say they are innocent. The very same people who email, chat, and offer discourse that doesn’t even compute  to the mindset of our grade school children. These people who come seeking sympathy, compassion, asking the public to consider their struggles, and yet all along while Phylicia Simone Barnes is now gone from our midst forever. Who do they think they are? To hell with you all. We shall not be moved by your arrogance, deception, and the true nature of your darkness. For God has reign over all in his dominion, your deed hasn’t escaped atonement, and it seems as if some parent had taught their children how to seek and love God, this baby would still be here today. Don’t come running to me now like the tearful, weak, and shameless whores of sodom. Spare me your shallow synthetic tears for we know that decency nor civility reigns not at your place. We shall not be moved by your theater of concern, perceived persecution, and superficial emergence in the wake of very compelling evidence against you. We know that God has pulled the sheets off of your deeds, and the time of reckoning for this child’s murder is now upon us. You cry defamation and demand your exculpation from these crimes as if the public has wronged you in some way. Was it not you who summoned apathy, absence, and silence when the authorities became involved? Was it not you who cowardly brandished weapons in a  pseudo portrayal of thugdom?  Was it not you who mocked the very source of humanity by displaying images of women with the nether regions of their anatomy at bare? Was it not you who admitted running around nude with a minor child because you thought it to be humorous, cool, and only offered the  rationalization that you simply lacked sobriety? How dare you even have the audacity and gull to even think your presence here would be met with an infinitesimal  degree on compassion. You nor your cronies who mask themselves in cower looking in are not welcome here. No one here has even flinched at you threats of litigation. I fact I implore you to find an attorney who will even entertain the filth that you and those associated with you have made public via your own stupid display of negativity.  We shall not be moved by your attempt to institute fear. Fear does not dwell in this place. Your demonic spirit has been cast out like Lucifer’s journey from the Heavens above the Earth. Don’t come hear again with your feminine posture after having perpetrated a fraud of strength, masculinity, and manhood. A man would simply do the right thing, but boyish acts have changed the scope of the lives of those just like you forever, and in the end it’s your very spirit we pray dissipates forever more. We shall not be moved!

The People’s Champion

I’m David Adams

The Chat Room has been experiencing some strange issues as it blinks in and out while users are typing. Though the fix I will describe doesn’t repair this strange behavior, the fix will allow users to have better user experience. To resolve the flashing in and out every time a post or comment is made in the Chat Room, simply click the black hash mark to the top far right of the chat module, and a drop down window will appear. Select “Pop out to new window” as indicated in the image below:

A new stand alone Chat Module should pop out. The new module can even be expanded to full screen capacity. This ends the annoying flashing that the Chat Room does when a new comment is made. See below image for an image of the stand alone module:

Also TPC Blog now has two completely separate Chat rooms. The main Chat will continue to be displayed at the bottom right corner just above your status bar. The new Chat Room can be found at the very top of the Blog’s page. Above the People’s Champion Heading there are several white tabs. The New Chat Room is within the TPC Conference tab. See image below:

I hope this has helped many resolve the Chat room Issues. Thank you for your patience.

Admin