Emmett Till relatives seek renewed probe of ’55 lynching

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS and JAY REEVES
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Relatives of Emmett Till are asking authorities to reverse their decision to close an investigation of his 1955 lynching and instead prosecute a white woman at the center of the case. Family members said Friday in Jackson, Mississippi, that authorities have known for decades about Carolyn Bryant Donham playing a key role in the Black teenager’s slaying. Donham is now in her 80s, and Till relatives say action is needed before time runs out. Donham accused Till of accosting her, and he was killed days later. A book published in 2017 claimed Donham recanted, but a federal investigation closed in December found no evidence to back that up.