John S. Williams

Unfortunately, all of the victims were black men who had been trapped in a system of forced labor.

The bodies were traced back to a farm owned by a wealthy white plantation owner named John S. Williams, who took advantage of the system to exploit others.

He, along with his sons, used local courts and sheriffs to pay off small fines for black men who were arrested on minor offenses like loitering.

Then he forced them onto his farm, held them captive, beat them, and made them work off inflated, endless debts.