John Earl Reese, October 22, 1955

16-year-old teenager John Earl Reese was one of three people shot by local Klansmen in Mayflower, Texas on October 22, 1955. Known to others as being a happy and fun loving youngster, his murder which occurred while he was out dancing at a local cafe called the Hughes Cafe continues to haunt many who seek justice. The killers Joe Simpson, 21, and Perry Dean Ross, 22, drove by the Hughes Cafe with the intent to “make a raid” because they wanted to teach “uppity blacks” a lesson. Ross’s lawyer would later say in court that Ross, “wanted to scare somebody and keep the n—rs and the whites from going to school together.”