Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 07:46:06 -0400 (EDT) From: David Casti Subject: ACTION ALERT: GLAAD Atlanta Oct 12 GLAAD/Atlanta News Oct 12, 1994 by Carl Lange MURDER IN JONES COUNTY On the morning of Saturday, October 8 the bodies of two gay men, Robert Walters, 34 and Joe Shoemake, 24 were found in a wooded area, just outside the town of Laurel, in Jones County, Mississippi. According to witnesses who found the bloody bodies both had been shot in the head, one had his pants pulled down, underwear torn off and genitals exposed. According to an autopsy Walters had been shot from 6" and Shoemake with the gun pressed to his head. The two gay men had left a small group of friends on the previous night for what was supposed to be a short period of time. When they were still missing the next morning friends contacted the police. Their car was found several two blocks from Shoemake's home and four miles from the bodies. According to evidence the two had been murdered in the car and then dumped at the wooded site. The Jones County Sheriff's Department has made numerous defamatory remarks, lied and contradicted itself concerning facts of the case as documented in television and print. It has refused to classify this execution style murder as a hate crime but instead as a robbery and has threatened to throw any "outside homosexuals" out of town who might cause any trouble. After denying that this was a hate-crime, the Sheriff's department was asked if it were not unusual for a robbery victim to have his underwear pulled off [an obvious act of humiliation by the murderer(s)] - the response - "not for a homosexual." The Jones County Sheriff's Department and Mississippi officials have shown extreme bigotry in dealing with the escalating hate crimes occurring in Jones County since attacks first began on Camp Sister Spirit in Ovett, also located in Jones County. Gays and lesbians in Mississippi are justifiably fearing for their lives. Very few are even willing to discuss the intense homophobia in the State for fear of retribution. They need your support! At press time, scarce local or national coverage of the slaying of these gay men has occurred. Write Letters to the Editor, Hattiesburg American, P.O. Box 1111, Hattiesburg, MS 39402; phone 601-582-4321 (Hattiesburg is close to Laurel). Write Letters to the Editor, Clarion Ledger, P.O. Box 40, Jackson, MS 39205; phone 601-961-7000 (Capital of Mississippi). Write to the editor of your local paper concerning this incident of national importance. In Atlanta write Letters to the Editor, Atlanta Constitution, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302. (GLAAD/Atlanta) has demanded that the Federal Government investigate the brutal murder of these two gay men and intervene in this escalating violence. Contact the Jones County Sheriff's Department and demand a thorough investigation of this case, recognition of it as a hate-crime and ask them how they intend to protect their gay and lesbian citizens. Call 601-425-3147. The Mississippi Highway Patrol, which is also investigating the case may be reached at 601-425-3802. Contact the local Mississippi Justice Department at 601-428-3137 to demand that action be taken as well as Janet Reno's office at the National Justice Department at 202-514-2000 COMMITMENTS The Sunday, October 9th issue of the Atlanta Journal & Constitution included the commitment ceremony announcement of two gay men, Richard Mole and Alan Avery. While the paper has had a policy to include commitment ceremony announcements since March of 1993 few have taken advantage of the opportunity. Significantly, this is the first commitment announcement to include a photo. For more information and to request a commitment form call Byron Battles at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution at 404-526-5806. The completed form must be returned to the paper 10 days prior to the event and one member of the couple must have an Atlanta connection. To thank the paper for its inclusiveness write Letters to the Editor, Atlanta Constitution, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302. Currently there are over a dozen papers nationally that publish commitment ceremony announcements. If you would like to know if there is one in your city or would like to help change your paper's policy contact GLAAD/Atlanta. We welcome and thank you for your contributions to this column. Permission is granted to distribute and/or reproduce this column in part or in its entirety provided attribution is made to GLAAD/Atlanta when appropriate. For more information about GLAAD/Atlanta write PO Box 55111, Atlanta, GA 30308; phone 404-876-1398; fax 404-876-4051; internet: glaadatl@aol.com. This column is a product of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/Atlanta, Incorporated.