This day in 1999 - William King was sentenced to death for the racial murder of James Byrd Jr in Jasper, TX . Two other men charged were later convicted for their involvement. Murder of James Byrd, Jr. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search James Byrd, Jr. Born ( 1949-05-02 ) May 2, 1949 Beaumont, Texas , United States Died June 7, 1998 ( 1998-06-07 ) (aged 49) Jasper, Texas , United States James Byrd, Jr. (May 2, 1949 – June 7, 1998) was an African-American who was murdered by three men, of whom at least two were white supremacists , in Jasper, Texas , on June 7, 1998 . Shawn Berry, Lawrence Russell Brewer, and John King dragged Byrd for three miles behind a pick-up truck along an asphalt road. Byrd, who remained conscious throughout most of the ordeal, was killed when his body hit the edge of a culvert , severing his right arm and head. The murderers drove on for another mile before dumping his torso in front...