This thesis will examine the virtually forgotten murder of Willie Edwards, Jr. At the beginning of 1957, Montgomery remained a testing ground where racial struggles were still being played out after the successful bus boycott. Of all the violent acts following the boycott - including physical confrontations on city streets, gun shots fired at integrated buses, and the bombing of black churches and homes - only this one resulted in death. This work will examine the circumstances surrounding this murder as well as how the subsequent investigations and legal efforts unraveled throughout forty-five years.
