Family members of a teenager who was tortued to death in 1955 are asking for the case to be reopened.
Wheeler Parker and Deborah Watts, cousins of Emmett Till, are asking for a new investigation after a recently published book revealed the woman who claimed Till whistled, catcalled, caressed, flirted with or otherwise spoke to her exaggerated the claims.
Her accusation ultimately led to Till's death.
Till, a 14-year-old black teen, was kidnapped, beaten, shot and mutilated until he died before being tied up with barbed wire and thrown into a river. The then-husband of Carolyn Bryant, the 21-year-old white woman Till reportedly interacted with, was not charged for his part in Till's murder.
>> Woman who claimed Emmett Till whistled at her says she made it up in new book
Now, a key witness is quoted in the book, "The Blood of Emmett Till," as saying she lied about what Till said and did before he was lynched.
Parker and Watts said a renewed probe of Donham's role could settle lingering questions.
"We know that she has admitted that she lied, and we know that is part of the reason Emmett is no longer with us," said Watts. "If there is any chance to reopen the case, I hope they will take this opportunity to do it now."
"I don't know what else they could investigate," Parker said, according to The Associated Press. "(But) if they could bring more truth, I'd say investigate."
Donham, now 82, lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has not responded to interview requests by the AP.
Read more at The Associated Press.
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