Many people aren’t aware of the allegations surrounding the murder (some say lynching) of Alfred Wright. He was a black man married to a white woman near racially charged Japer, Texas. After calling his family to tell them his truck had broken down on the road, he went missing for 18 days. His partially clothed body was found in a muddy field with his throat slit, two front teeth knocked out and an ear missing. The police ruled his death an overdose and the autopsy report stated there was no severe trauma. Clearly, most of the details lack clarity. In fact, the local sheriff’s office has come under fire due to severe faults in the investigation:
- Wright’s truck still had not been searched by authorities.
- People who found Wright’s body were not interviewed
- People who last talked to Wright had not given formal statements
- The sheriff stated he had mounted ground and air searches for Wright, yet his body was found approximately 25 yards from where he disappeared
- The sheriff’s daughter knew Wright and his wife as a fellow healthcare worker
- His front teeth were knocked out, his throat slit, and his ear missing
- The official pathology report stated, “No evidence of severe trauma and death attributed to combined drug intoxication, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamine.”
- The county prosecuter has turned over the case to the State of Texas
- The US Justice Department has begun an investigation
The Texas Rangers took over the case in January and have ended the investigation. As of yet, the complete findings have not been released from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
