Report: DOJ considers reopening Emmett Till murder case

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According to the cousin of Emmett Till, the Department of Justice may reopen the infamous murder case.

Till’s cousin, Deborah Watts, said U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions had said that “no one gets a pass” and mentioned wanting to reopen unsolved civil rights cases. Sessions made the comments during a meeting between himself and Watts as well as civil rights activist Alvin Sykes, according to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

Carolyn Bryant Donham, the woman who accused Till of whistling at her and touching her, recently told author Timothy B. Tyson that she had lied about what happened, saying, “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.”

In a February letter, Congressman Bennie Thompson wrote to Assistant Attorney General Thomas Wheeler asking him to reopen the case based on the confession, and Wheeler responded in a letter that “the Department is currently assessing whether the newly revealed statement could warrant additional investigation.”

However, Wheeler added that it could be difficult to get closure in this case.

“We caution, however, that even with our best efforts, investigations into historic cases are exceptionally difficult, and there may be insurmountable legal and evidentiary barriers to bringing federal charges against any remaining living persons,” Wheeler said.