Man missing 30 years ago believed to be Klan victim.
HERNANDO - With a trunk load of Christmas presents meant for his younger siblings, 18-year-old Jerry Lee Armstrong drove off in his brother James' borrowed 1973 white Pontiac Le Mans and headed out to pick up his date for the senior prom.
It was the last time Armstrong, a Hernando High School student, was seen alive by his family.
His brother Johnny Armstrong, 45, has waited 30 years for his killer to be brought to justice.
Armstrong said he's tired of waiting. He's been told by federal and state officials to be patient. He's been in near constant contact with FBI officials over the years.
Armstrong said he's been told his brother's "cold case" is still being investigated by both the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On Monday, Armstrong brought an armload of flyers by the newspaper office in hopes that his brother's case will jog memories, if not someone's conscience. He's appealing to the public for help.
"It's wrong to kill a man just because of his skin color,"Armstrong said. "It's wrong for a white man to kill a black man, just like it's wrong for a black man to kill a white man."
Armstrong said he believes his brother Jerry Lee's killer is white and a former or current member of the Ku Klux Klan.
"A whole lot of white guys didn't like it because they had made Jerry the head quarterback," Johnny said. His other brother James was also dating a white girl at the time.
James Armstrong died in February of 1984 in nearby Tate County under suspicious circumstances. His death was officially classified as a suicide but neither Armstrong nor his mother Mary ever believed it.
His younger brother Jimmy, 42, said he was with James Armstrong the weekend he supposedly killed himself.
"I had spent the weekend with him (James) but he wasn't mad or anything," Jimmy Armstrong said. "They said he shot himself in the chest. The report from the (Tate County) Coroner said he died from cardiac arrest."
In essence, Johnny Armstrong said he believes his brother James was scared to death.
The elder Armstrong went to her grave pleading with Johnny to find Jerry Lee's killer and bring him to justice. Mary Armstrong died in 1987.
"She always told me she wanted to live long enough to see the truth come out," Armstrong said. "So far, I've been trying to honor her wishes."
Armstrong said there's no doubt in his mind that Jerry Lee Armstrong was murdered.
"I think Jerry was killed that night after he took his girlfriend home," Johnny said. "They (Klan) had plans to bury the car. They probably had the roads blocked off. They had everything plotted. They tried to say he ran away but I'll never believe that. He had too much going for him."
Jerry Lee Armstrong had a good paying job at a Coldwater gas station and a steady girlfriend, according to Johnny Armstrong.
Johnny said his brother's killer had "blood on his hands" in more ways than one.
If Jerry Armstrong was the intended target to right some perceived social injustice, the Klan killed the wrong man, he said. Jerry Armstrong's girlfriend was black.
Jerry Lee Armstrong was driving his brother James' car. The distinctive white two-door Le Mans had red and black racing stripes down the side.
Johnny said many people in the community wanted to put a stop to James' relationship with a white girl.
Jerry Armstrong had the misfortune of borrowing his brother's car for the night.
He had just taken his girlfriend home to the eastern DeSoto County community Of Dark Corners, south of the Byhalia and Craft Road intersection.
Johnny believes his brother's car was pulled over. He was either shot or beaten and his body was never found, he said.
Master Sgt. Peter Clinton with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said the MBI has been investigating Armstrong's murder for quite some time. Clinton has been on the case for just a few months.
"We are meeting with the FBI on it," Clinton said. "One of the issues at the state and federal level is there's no body that has ever been found."
Clinton said several witnesses have been interviewed in the case. "There are a lot of documents in this case and we continue to investigate," Clinton said. "With the Christmas presents in the car he appeared to have the intent to return," he said. "For him and the car to mysteriously disappear … something's wrong."
Clinton said the possibility exists the Klan or a member or members of the Klan could have been involved. He believes there could still be some Klan activity in neighboring Marshall County but did not rule out a link to past or active Klan members in DeSoto. There is Klan activity around the Jackson area, he said. There is a reluctance to talk about Jerry Lee Armstrong's disappearance, even 30 years years later.
He did say the MBI was investigating complaints of intimidation involving the case.
"Some of the witnesess have been intimidated by the law enforcement presence up there," he said. He declined to elaborate or name the agency or officers who were allegedly intimidating witnesses.
Anyone having information on the case is urged to contact Clinton at (662) 934-3029. Mississippi Bureau of Investigation 601-933-2600. Federal Bureau of Investigation 1-800-225-5324. Mississippi Crime Stoppers 1-888-827-4637.
