Mississippi man had ID in his pocket when he was buried without his family’s knowledge

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A prominent civil rights lawyer says Mississippi authorities buried a Black man in a paupers cemetery without notifying his family after he was killed by a police SUV, even though he had ID in his pocket. Ben Crump said in a statement Thursday that the body of Dexter Wade was exhumed Monday, and that a wallet subsequently found in Wade’s jeans pocket contained his state identification card with his home address, his credit card and a health insurance card. Crump is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Wade’s death and its aftermath. Representatives of the Jackson Police Department and the Hinds County Coroner’s Office have not responded to calls and text messages requesting comment.