FEBRUARY 5, 1994

A jury convicted Byron De La Beckwith for the 1963 murder of Medgar Evers.

The conviction happened after the jury saw evidence that included Beckwith’s fingerprint on the murder weapon and hearing six witnesses share how he had bragged about killing Evers.

The judge sentenced Beckwith to life in prison.

Evers’ widow, Myrlie Evers, had prayed for this day, and now that it had come, she could hardly believe it.

“All I want to say is, ‘Yay, Medgar, yay!’” She wiped away tears. “My God, I don’t have to say accused assassin anymore. I can say convicted assassin, who laughed and said, ‘He’s dead, isn’t he? That’s one n—– who isn’t going to come back.’ But what he failed to realize was that Medgar was still alive in spirit and through each and every one of us who wanted to see justice done.”

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