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Sep 26, 2008 10:00 pm US/Central
Family Says Murder Of 24-Year-Old Was A Hate Crime
PARIS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A horrible crime has striking similarities to the dragging death of a Southeast Texas man 10 years ago. But was the recent brutal killing of a black man in Paris, Texas racially motivated?
CBS 11 News took an exclusive look at the crime that has increased racial tension in the northeast Texas town.
Jacqueline McLelland says she never bought the story about her son's death. "If it had been a hit and run I don't believe that my baby's body would have been decomposed as much as it was."
Brandon McLelland was found on the side of a road outside Paris on September 16th. Family members were told he was hit by a vehicle and dragged 60-feet. Officials said the vehicle fled the scene.
But the 24-year-old's body was dismembered and that leads relatives to believe whatever happened was intentional. "The back of his head was split about this wide," Jacqueline explained motioning with her hand. "And right here over his heart was a spot about as big as my hand."
When Brandon was buried, on Tuesday, his family believed he was the victim of a hit and run despite their suspicions. Since then two men have been charged with murder.
Charles Crostley and Shannon Finley were with Brandon the night he died. The vicious nature of the death alone has a number of people convinced it was a hate crime.
Brenda Cherry with Concerned Citizens for Racial Equality said, "For me it smells like Jasper. So, I do believe race may be an issue."
Lamar County District Attorney Gary Young told CBS 11 by phone, "We will fully investigate that. But the facts don't lead us in the direction."
Still, authorities refuse to release any information about the case against the two white men.
Last year in Paris, protests and demonstrations followed the seven year prison sentence given to a black teenager for shoving a hall monitor in school.
Now the scene of McLelland's gruesome death recalls memories of James Byrd junior who was dragged to death by three white men in Jasper 10 years ago.
Jacqueline McLelland worries that authorities will avoid investigating her son's death as hate crime, because of bad publicity and the town's racial history. "I feel like if a lot of people hadn't have been listening and paying attention to what was going on maybe they would have just swept this under the rug."
Jacqueline says nobody's child should have to suffer and go through what her son did before he died.
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