Was a Black Man Lynched in a Racially Divided Texas Town?

Was a Black man lynched in a racially divided Texas town?
A racially divided town’s worse fears are brewing, as evidence shows two White men might have picked up and then mutilated and dismembered a 24-year-old Black man in Paris, Texas. The victim’s body was discovered in the middle of a busy road last month. Law enforcement officials had first declared Brandon Clelland’s death a hit and run by an unidentified driver. However, forensics performed by the Texas Rangers found blood from Mr. McClelland and other DNA evidence on the undercarriage of the truck, which has the victim’s family calling the death a “Jasper-style” lynching. The term refers to the murder of a Black man in Jasper, Texas, in 1998. “They tied my son to that truck and dragged him until his body parts were detached,” said Jacqueline McClelland, the victim’s mother in an interview with The Final Call. “His body was so destroyed that it could not even be embalmed by the funeral home. This is a hate crime.” The Lamar County District Attorney disputes that race was a factor in McClelland’s death because he was friends with alleged assailants Shannon Finley and Charles Ryan Crostley. Both men are 27-years-old. However, angry family members and community activists are demanding a thorough investigation into a possible hate crime they say parallels the lynching of James Byrd Jr., in Jasper, Texas, which is several hours south of Paris.

Comment by chris on October 30, 2008 at 3:31pm: everyone needs to be on there p's and q's because when obama get in power you will possibly see more of this hatred. everyone needs to just unite and stop the hate.

Comment by Rhonda Da Real GA Chick on October 30, 2008 at 4:30pm: I believed that when he wins all types of shit is going to come out of the wood works. Whites are going to try to take our population down. It is a scary thing to think but I think that's what's going to happen.

Comment by Raw Dawg on October 30, 2008 at 7:50pm: This wasn't a hate crime. I read about this the other day. He was long time friends of both of the white guys since high school. One of the suspects sister says he eats at their house all the time and she's known him longer than her husband. She said her brother is upset that people are calling it a hate crime. Something may have went wrong and they did kill him - if they did kill him they didn't kill him just because he was black. Maybe over money but not just because he was black.

Comment by Dimitri on October 30, 2008 at 11:53pm: I don't say much on this site but dragging his body behind a car where his arms and legs get detached is very disturbing...Damn its cold world

Comment by JABBAR M on October 31, 2008 at 6:02am: Yeah...this is very disturbing...just wonder what would have happen if it was an Afrian American doing that to some white folks. Times are changing last days they say maybe close but we are in the midst shit about to get wild, all I can say is stick together and do what you have to do to protect your love ones for just in case possibilities don't get caught sleeping...

Comment by Drey305 on October 31, 2008 at 8:59am: Obama 08!

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Comment by bodoo on October 31, 2008 at 5:00pm: WHAT THE FUCK!!!!! somebody gotta pay or it is going to be a riot in Paris, muthafuckin Texas

Comment by bodoo on October 31, 2008 at 5:03pm: fuck you raw dawg, i got white friends, and if those muthafuckas hang me off the back of a truck its a hate crime..period

Comment by FRANKIE DOLO on November 1, 2008 at 12:00am: motherfucker what r u going to do talking about more of this is going to happen what u gonna do to prevent this from happening I know one thing am ready for war they drag mines am draging them. U sound scared u should be strong right now damn people we out rank them we killing each other but we scared of white people lol u guys r funny fuck'em bring it on I put on for my city u see that shit be happening in texas and nigga don't do shit out west they fuck people up for that shit and up north down south they run and hide but u got all these texas gangsta give me a break.

Comment by BadAzz on November 1, 2008 at 7:05pm: SHIT IS CRAZY WIN OBAMA WINS, THESE CRACKAS GON SHOW THEIR ASS BUT THATS OK I GOT SOMETHIN FOR DEM MU'FUCKAS IF THEY TRY ME OR MY FAMILY AND ALL MY SHIT IS REGISTERED YA DIG....SO BRING YA ASS