Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr.
| Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1938 (age 79–80) |
| Residence |
St. Clair Correctional Facility Springville, Alabama |
| Known for | Participant in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing |
| Parent(s) | Thomas Edwin "Pops" Blanton Sr. |
| Motive | White supremacy |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal charge | Murder |
| Penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Partner(s) | |
Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. (born 1938) is an American terrorist and convicted felon, currently serving a life sentence for his role as conspirator in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 which killed four young African-American girls (Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, and Denise McNair).[1] Blanton, along with Bobby Frank Cherry, was convicted in a highly-publicized trial in 2001.
Early life
Blanton is the son of Thomas Edwin "Pops" Blanton Sr., who was a notorious racist in the Birmingham, Alabama area.[2]
Trial and imprisonment
Blanton was convicted of murder in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison, with the eventual possibility of parole. His Alabama Department of Corrections AIS is 00216691.
He is housed at St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville, Alabama.[3] Blanton went before the parole board on August 3, 2016. Parole was denied and deferred until 2021.[4]
References
- ↑ Sack, Kevin (May 2, 2001). "Ex-Klansman Is Found Guilty in '63 Bombing". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ↑ Clary, Mike (14 April 2001). "Birmingham's Painful Past Reopened". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ↑ "Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr". Alabama Department of Corrections. Retrieved Sep 15, 2013.
- ↑ Faulk, Kent (July 14, 2016). "Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bomber up for parole next month". The Birmingham News. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
Further reading
- Sikora, Frank (2005). Until Justice Rolls Down: The Birmingham Church Bombing Case. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817352684.