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: oe cee Pa LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE e John Ed Cothran: Testified that on August 31, 1955, at about 10:00 a.m. he and Mr. Weber, a Leflore County Deputy Sheriff, traveled to a place on the Tallahatchie River, between Philipp and Macel, Mississippi, stopping en route at Mose Wright's home to pick him up. Upon arriving, they found a body had been taken out of the river and was in a boat on the river bank, Sheriff Strider, Sheriff Smith, and other people were present. Chester Miller, the Ne gro undertaker, arrived a short time later. Cothran witnessed the transfer of the body from the boat into a casket under the supervision of Chester Miller. Cothran also witnessed Simon Garrett, Miller's helper, remove a silver ring from a finger on the body. Garrett gave the ring to. Mose Wnght, who carried it home, and who, in tum, gave it to Cothran. Cothran identified the ring as being inscribed "May 25, 1943" with the inscribed initials “L.T." Cothran - identified a metal gin fan which had been in the boat with the body and a piece of barbed wire that had been attached to the body. Cothran described the condition of the body as "his head was torn up pretty bad. And his left eye was about out, it was all gouged out in there, you know. And right up in the top of his head, well, there was a hole knocked in the front of it there. And then right over his right ear -- well, I wouldn't say it was a bullet hole..." Cothran further stated there was a small hole in the head about an inch above the ear and he could not tell if the hole penetrated the ' skull. Also the head had “a place knocked in on his forehead." Other parts of the body did not appear to be mutilated. After arriving at the river, as they walked up to the boat, Mose Wright said “I believe that's him". Cothran also heard Mose Wright 76 LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE This document contains neither recommendations not conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is toaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency.