Page "Murder of James Byrd, Jr." Paragraph 5

On June 7, 1998, Byrd, age 49, accepted a ride from Shawn Berry ( age 24 ), Lawrence Brewer ( age 31 ) and John King ( age 23 ).

Berry, who was driving, was acquainted with Byrd from around town.

Instead of taking Byrd home, the three men took Byrd to a remote county road out of town, beat him severely, urinated on him and chained him by his ankles to their pickup truck before dragging him for three miles.

Brewer later claimed that Byrd's throat had been slashed by Berry before he was dragged.

However, forensic evidence suggests that Byrd had been attempting to keep his head up while being dragged, and an autopsy suggested that Byrd was alive during much of the dragging.

Byrd died after his right arm and head were severed after his body hit a culvert.

His body had caught the culvert on the side of the road, resulting in Byrd's decapitation.

Byrd's brain and skull were found intact, further suggesting he maintained consciousness while being dragged.