Female Gang Called ‘Jafrica’ Who ‘Hunted Black People’ and Killed Innocent Man Beg for Forgiveness
April 13, 2015
From Latest.com:
Two of the women involved in the murder of Mississippi man James Craig Anderson have pleaded guilty to hate crime charges and have been sentenced to multiple years in prison.
On Thursday, Shelbie Brooke Richards, 21, was sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit a hate crime and concealing the crime by lying to investigators.
Sarah Adelia Graves, 22, another member of the group responsible for murdering the 47-year-old Anderson, will serve five years for one count of conspiracy to commit a hate crime.
Both Richards and Graves were passengers in Deryl Dedmon’s truck when the man hunted and ran over Anderson. Before being sentenced, they apologized for what they had done.
“It was the worst decision of my life,” Richards said while crying. “I followed a lot of people with hate in their hearts…and I’m sorry for the actions I didn’t take to save Mr. Anderson’s life.”
She also said she did it to “fit in.”
“I was a teenager who partied too much and wanted to fit in with the crowd, and I’ve asked myself so many times, ‘Why was I so afraid?’” Graves said. “I pray that not only God and Mr. Anderson can forgive me, but that his family can one day forgive me.”
Richards and Graves confessed to recruiting friends to their gang called “Jafrica.” The ten members then went out in multiple vehicles looking for African-American men and women they could abuse. The gang specifically targeted individuals who were homeless or drunk. The racially motivated scheme led to Anderson’s death.
Anderson’s family said the fact the girls are now sorry is not enough. They participating in ending a man’s life.
“You sat, watched, encouraged and rallied around as my brother was beaten…your thirst for the blood of an innocent African-American caused you to pour more fuel on the fire,” Anderson’s sister told the girls at sentencing.
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