Man gets 20 years for hate crime

More sentences have been handed out in the 2011 case of the killing of James Craig Anderson, a black man killed senselessly by a group of white youths. John Louis Blalack, the youngest of all 10 defenders in the case, was given the second-toughest sentence on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate sentenced Blalack to 20 years in prison for his role in a series of hate crimes, culminating in his involvement in keeping Anderson in the Metro Inn parking lot until Deryl Dedmon, who drove the truck that struck Anderson that night, could get there to assault him. Dedmon was sentenced with 50 years as he was the one driving the truck that mowed down Anderson and killed him.

Blalack pleaded guilty to two felony hate crime charges in January. He was sentenced to 10 years on each charge, and those are to be served consecutively. Blalack tearily read an apology letter to Anderson’s family. Hattiesburg American quotes part of the letter as: “”Not a day goes by that I’m not haunted by the days surrounding the death of Mr. Anderson…Knowing what I know now, I would have never left that parking lot. I’d give anything, including my life, to go back.”

He went on to say that he hopes the family could one day forgive him and that he wants to make amends in any way possible and collaborate with the family to help keep troubled youth out of trouble. A local pastor testified for Blalack, saying that he was bullied into joining the group that committed the crime, but Judge Wingate was not buying it. He said he expected Blalack to join racist gangs in prison and doesn’t think he showed an ounce of true remorse.

 

Be social, please share!

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail