James Earl Motley
Item
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Title
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James Earl Motley
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Source Type
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Federal Records
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Publisher
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US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
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Publication Place
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Washington DC
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Publication Date
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11/29/1966
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Transcript
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On November 20, 1966, at approximately 3:30 a.m., James Motley, the 27-year-old African-American victim, died in the Elmore County jail (the jail) as a result of head injuries. Earlier that morning, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) Deputy Harvey Conner, the subject, had stopped the car in which the victim was a passenger for a traffic violation. During the course of the traffic stop, the victim told the subject that he did not have jurisdiction because the traffic violation had occurred in a different county. The subject was reportedly offended by this comment and ordered the victim to exit the vehicle. The victim complied, whereupon the subject hit the victim in the head several times with a slapjack or similar object.
