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Former Klan Leader Convicted in 1964 Killings

A Mississippi jury convicts former Klan leader Edgar Ray Killen of manslaughter for his role in the deaths of three voter registration workers in 1964. The guilty verdict was rendered on the 41st anniversary of the murders in Philadelphia, Miss.

Killen, 80, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read as he sat in a wheelchair, wearing an oxygen tube. The murders came to be known as one of the most notorious episodes of the civil rights era; they later inspired the movie Mississippi Burning.

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NPR National Correspondent Debbie Elliott can be heard telling stories from her native South. She covers the latest news and politics, and is attuned to the region's rich culture and history.