Chipsquinn.org: One of your editors has called you persistent. There were many times when you could have stopped writing about civil-rights era crimes. What is it about these cases that has kept you reporting?

Jerry Mitchell: Someone getting away with a crime has always stuck in my craw, particularly murder. The knowledge that injustice took place drove me throughout these cases.

© The Clarion-Ledger

Q: Murder cases have been reopened as a result of your reporting. Are you surprised by what has been accomplished by your work?

A: I'm still amazed. There are so many people who’ve been responsible, who deserve credit, from the families who never gave up hope to the authorities who pursued the cases. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been a witness to this history.

Q: What has been your biggest disappointment or discouragement in covering these cases?

A: That some of these cases will never be prosecuted. Thomas Moore lost a brother to the Klan in the Summer of ’64 but is not bitter. He remains an inspiring man, yet he will never see justice for his brother because authorities have closed that case.

Q: How would you describe newspaper coverage of the cases in the 1960s? Was there any investigative reporting like you’ve been doing now?

A: Yes, there were a number of reporters like (Mississippi correspondent) Bill Minor from the New Orleans Times-Picayune, who was exposing things including judges attending Klan rallies. Bill is a hero of mine.

Q: These cases are complex. The Sovereignty Commission files, on which you based some of your reporting, contained tens of thousands of names and details of murders by Klansmen. How do you keep your notes organized when there are so many trails?

A: What I try to do is familiarize myself with all the details of a case, like a detective. I read every book, every document, every transcript, every FBI document I can. Then when I get a new piece of the puzzle, I try to see how it fits into the big picture. Without that kind of familiarity, it's difficult to reconstruct the case.

Q: Documents were critical to your reporting. How were you able to obtain the information you used in your stories?

A: I developed sources who had access to those documents. First, they shared information from those documents and, eventually, they shared 2,400 pages of sealed Sovereignty Commission documents.

Q: In the Ghosts of Mississippi, Assistant District Attorney “Bobby DeLaughter” describes “Jerry Mitchell” -- who calls regularly for information -- as a pain. That comment came from a movie, but in your real-life reporting, there certainly were people who did not want to talk with you. How do you get sources to work with you when they are not motivated to do so?

A: I've found that people typically want to tell their stories. I try to tap into that, get people to talk, even if they're reluctant. It probably helps, too, that my personality is the opposite of someone like Mike Wallace. Instead of coming in with guns blazing, I just try to get people relaxed, maybe take them out for lunch or dinner. It's amazing what people will tell you if you'll just let them.

Q: Is Ghosts of Mississippi an accurate depiction of events in the case of slain civil-rights worker Medgar Evers?

A: The movie is told from Bobby DeLaughter's point of view; therefore, he considers the film very accurate. But from my point of view, the movie was inaccurate in parts -- there's nothing my character said that I said in real life -- and from Myrlie Evers’ point of view, the movie failed to show who her husband, Medgar, was.

Q: What role have editors at The Clarion-Ledger had in your work?

A: I couldn't have done any of this without my editors, particularly my longtime boss, (assistant managing editor/news and business) Debbie Skipper. She's been a godsend. I can bounce any tip I get off of her. She's not only a great sounding board, but she gives great ideas on directions to pursue. On top of that, she's also a terrific editor! I've told friends that if Debbie ever quits being my boss, I don't know what I'd do.

By J.D. Schwalm © The Clarion-Ledger Jerry Mitchell has investigated the 1964 murders of civil-rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner. Mitchell uses an old FBI missing-persons poster announcing the disappearance of the civil-rights workers as a screen saver on his newsroom computer.

Q: Were you ever frightened during any of your reporting?

A: Sure, when (Klansman) Byron De La Beckwith told me, “I'm going to live to be 120 years; I don't know how much longer you've got. I would hate for you to have a wreck in your car or for someone to hurt you or molest you. Do you know anyone who would do that?”

And I replied, “Do you?”

I have to confess that after that, I looked under my car for a while to make sure no one was tampering with it.

Q: Have you ever received death threats? If so, did you take them seriously enough to report them to the authorities or your employer?

A: Yes, I got a pretty serious threat in 1998 from a white supremacist (who said he had pictures of me and knew where my family and I lived). I reported this to federal authorities, who investigated. It turned out that he didn't live in Mississippi, thankfully, and apparently wasn't connected to any hate groups.

Q: You have said that people -- whether they are families of slain civil-rights workers or Ku Klux Klan members -- just want to have their stories heard. And you have described your willingness to sit and listen as your strength. Is listening a skill that can be learned? How can young journalists become better listeners?

A: Absolutely. Learn the art of shutting up. What you want to do as a reporter is let them fill the dead air with talking -- not you.

Q: One of your former editors has said that you are a true investigative reporter -- breaking news not only to readers but to police and prosecutors. What makes a good reporter?

A: As best I can tell, it's because I think like a detective, trying to piece things together. What can I learn that I don't know already, and where can I find the information?

Q: You started at The Clarion-Ledger as a bureau reporter in the 1980s. What has your work taught you about reporting?

A: That reporting can have an impact on what happens in society.

Q: When you began your work at the newspaper, did you intend to write about civil rights?

A: Absolutely not. I just thought it was a fascinating story. I know it’s hard for people to believe, but I don't think of myself as a “civil-rights reporter.” I think of myself as a reporter, period -- one who loves justice and believes it should be done in all cases, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the skin color.

Q: Do you keep in touch with family members of the victims?

A: Yes, I do. I feel fortunate to be able to continue to communicate with those families who belong to that horrible fraternity of having loved ones killed by the hands of hate.

Q: How do you handle all the e-mail, phone calls and regular mail we assume you get when these stories appear?

© The Clarion-Ledger

A: It was horrible the first few days. When I got back from Killen’s arraignment, I had something like 29 voice-mail messages and twice that in e-mail. Fortunately, it’s slacked off now to only a few e-mails and calls a day.

Q: We understand that you’ve had some negative feedback from readers. How do you deal with that?

A: If criticism is justified, of course, I'm hurt. But if it’s not, I never let it bother me. In fact, if you do the right thing, you will get criticized. Expect it. And don't take it personally.

Q: Do the reactions say anything about race relations in the South today?

A: Sure, there is a split of opinion on whether to prosecute these cases. Some feel it’s a waste of time and resources. Some feel justice should be sought, no matter how much time has passed.

Q: Can Mississippi ever fully recover from this stain on its past?

A: I believe so, but it will take racial reconciliation to finish the process, something that's already begun.

Q: Despite the history of segregation and violence, there are positive things about Mississippi. What keeps you there?

A: The stories, plus I love Mississippi. It's a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

Q: If you weren't a journalist, what would you be?

A: A writer of some sort. I've always loved writing.

Q: Most recently, you have been writing about the murders of three civil-rights workers in 1964 and the recent indictment of Edgar Ray Killen in the case. What can we look forward to reading from you next?

A: I'll be writing about the upcoming trial (in March), and I may write a narrative on the case, reconstructing the events from back then.

Q: Is there anything we should have asked you that we didn't?

A: It's been an amazing journey, and one that I believe God has blessed. I have to say that my faith has played an important role in giving me the strength to go on and do my job.