Deryl Paul Dedmon on Tuesday was given
a 50 year prison sentence for the hate-crime murder of James Craig
Anderson.
Two other men, John Aaron Rice, 21, and
Dylan Wade Butler, 23, received shorter sentences for their
participation in the murder, 18 and 7 years, respectively.
Dedmon, 22, and Rice beat up Anderson
in a Jackson, Mississippi motel parking lot, prosecutors
said. Dedmon killed the 49-year-old Anderson when he ran over
his prone body.
The murder is the subject of the CNN
special Mississippi Still Burning?
According to the report, Dedmon and a
group of seven white teens in two vehicles set off from Brandon in
search of a black man to “mess with.” The incident was recorded
by a surveillance camera mounted at the corner of a motel.
Parents and students who knew Dedmon
told CNN about his hatred not only for blacks, but also white people
who had black friends and anyone he thought was gay.