![]() "The fact that after the bombing, he went on to remain a free man for nearly four decades speaks to a broader systemic failure to hold him and his accomplices accountable," the statement said. "That he died at this moment, when the country is trying to reconcile the multi-generational failure to end systemic racism, seems fitting."Īttempts to reach 16th Street Baptist Church on Friday were not immediately successful. Jones said in a statement Friday that Blanton was responsible for "one of the darkest days in Alabama's history" and said he died "without ever having atoned for his actions or apologizing to the countless people he hurt." The jury did not buy the story and convicted Blanton after two and a half hours of deliberation. senator, presented evidence from a tape recording made off an FBI tap in 1964 that included Blanton saying “They ain’t going to catch me when I bomb my next church.” A former girlfriend on Blanton's also testified that he tried to run down a Black pedestrian, saying “All I want is a chance to kill one of those Black bastards.”īlanton's attorneys challenged the fidelity of the tape and argued he never explicitly said he bombed the church. But Blanton was not put on trial until 2001. ![]() The FBI reopened the case after meeting with Black clergy in 1993. Department of Justice's civil rights division on evidence in the case. Edgar Hoover, the director of the FBI at the time, also blocked attempts to brief local prosecutors and members of the U.S. But the FBI did not pursue prosecutions in the 1960s in 2007, the bureau said "witnesses were reluctant to talk and physical evidence was lacking," and that recorded evidence at the time was inadmissable. The FBI identified Blanton as a suspect in a 1965 memo as a suspect in the bombing. Kay Ivey said in a statement on Friday. "Although his passing will never fully take away the pain or restore the loss of life, I pray on behalf of the loved ones of all involved that our entire state can continue taking steps forward to create a better Alabama for future generations." "That was a dark day that will never be forgotten in both Alabama’s history and that of our nation," Gov. All rights reserved.The blast killed Collins, McNair, Robertson and Wesley and injured at least 14 other people, including Addie Mae Collins' sister Sarah, 12, who was blinded in one eye. Tommy Blanton may be gone, but we still have work to do.”Ĭopyright 2020 WSFA 12 News. At this moment in our nation when we have all come to realize that the journey to racial justice has taken far too long, we must come together. “However, what the families of those girls, and the entire community of Birmingham, do know today is that when we come together and demand justice, we can achieve it. That he died at this moment, when the country is trying to reconcile the multi-generational failure to end systemic racism, seems fitting.” The fact that after the bombing, he went on to remain a free man for nearly four decades speaks to a broader systemic failure to hold him and his accomplices accountable. “Tommy Blanton is responsible for one of the darkest days in Alabama’s history, and he will go to his resting place without ever having atoned for his actions or apologizing to the countless people he hurt. senator, also reacted the man’s death saying: Although his passing will never fully take away the pain or restore the loss of life, I pray on behalf of the loved ones of all involved that our entire state can continue taking steps forward to create a better Alabama for future generations.ĭoug Jones, who prosecuted Blanton’s case prior to becoming a U.S. ![]() That was a dark day that will never be forgotten in both Alabama’s history and that of our nation. His role in the hateful act on Septemstole the lives of four innocent girls and injured many others. “While serving a life sentence, Thomas Edwin Blanton, Jr., the last surviving 16th Street Baptist Church bomber, has passed away from natural causes. Ivey released a statement on Blanton’s death. died of natural causes while servicing a life sentence for the 1963 crime that killed four African-American girls and injured others. Ivey’s office said Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. (WSFA) - The last surviving bomber of Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church has died in prison, Alabama Gov. ![]()
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