Hearing Held Killing Negro

Title

Source Type

Newspapers

Publisher

Las Vegas Daily Optic

Publication Place

East Las Vegas, NM

Publication Date

11/24/1966

Transcript

Hearing Held Killing Negro WETUMPKA, Ala. (UPI)-A preliminary inquiry was held behind locked doors Wednesday into the death of James Earl Motley a 27-year-old Negro who allegedly was beaten to death by police. Five state troopers, three other white men, several Negroes and two FBI agents were present at the 8 a.m. inquiry, quietly called by bimore County Coroner Dr. Joseph R. Benson. Benson conducted an autopsy on Motley's body and his findings, along with the results of the preliminary hearing, will be turned over to County Solicitor U. G. -Jones for possible presentation to a grand jury. Motley, known to his friends as "Bronco" because of his habit of wearing Western garb, was arrested Saturday night and charged with drunkenness, resisting arrest and interfering with an arrest. His body, reportedly covered with blood; was taken from the Elmore County Jail Sunday. Five of the six companions who were with Motley at the time of his arrest were at Wednesday's hearing. They sat in a waiting room and one-by- one gave testimony, some taking as long as two hours. Later, several of them repeated for reporters a story that Motley's stepfather, William Varner, had related before that Motley and his companions were stopped by Deputy Harvey Conner, got into an argument with the law officer, and that Conner-after radioing for aid from the highway patrol-severely beat Motley while the troopers held him. Sheriff Lester Holley, who is retiring next January after 20 years in office, has promised to make public a report on the case.: but . denied Motley was beaten in jail. Sheriff Holley said he had not taken any disciplinary action against Deputy Conner "pending the outcome of the hearing." Conner, a 12-year veteran of the force, twice ran for sheriff unsuccessfully against Holley.

Sources for

See all items with this value James Earl Motley