Every day, crimes of yesterday resurface—unsolved mysteries, chilling confessions, historic verdicts, and the darkest moments etched into history.
In Bloodstained Timelines, we dig through the archives to bring you true stories of crime that occurred on this very date. Some changed laws. Some shocked nations. Some still haunt us.
Read on, and uncover what happened… on this bloodstained day in time.
Bloodstained Timelines: June 9
1998 – The Arrests in Jasper: Justice Begins for James Byrd Jr.
On June 9, 1998, three white men—John William King, Lawrence Brewer, and Shawn Berry—were officially charged with the murder of James Byrd Jr., a Black man whose death became one of the most shocking hate crimes in modern American history.
Just days earlier, Byrd had accepted a ride from the men, only to be chained by his ankles to the back of a truck and dragged nearly three miles down a rural road in Jasper, Texas. The brutality of the murder—Byrd was conscious for much of the ordeal—exposed deep, lingering racial hatred.
The arrests made national headlines and reignited conversations about racism, hate crimes, and white supremacy in America. The case ultimately led to the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded federal hate crime law.
Justice began on this day—but the stain of that road still runs deep.
2000 – DOJ Declares No Conspiracy in King Assassination
Also on June 9, but in the year 2000, the U.S. Department of Justice released the final findings from its reinvestigation into the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The DOJ concluded that it had found no reliable evidence of a broader conspiracy behind King's assassination. This determination was the result of a three-year investigation spurred by persistent questions and conspiracy claims, many of which were raised by the King family and civil rights advocates.
Despite the official report, skepticism remained. Many continue to believe that James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin, did not act alone—or may have been a scapegoat in a far larger scheme.
A bullet silenced a voice, but suspicion never died.
Reflections
June 9 is a day marked by truths revealed and truths still questioned. The arrest of Byrd’s killers signaled a step toward accountability, while the government's closing of the MLK conspiracy case left others searching for deeper answers.
From a blood-soaked Texas road to the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, this date in history reminds us that crime isn’t always confined to the shadows—sometimes, it’s written across headlines, justice systems, and generations.
This is Bloodstained Timelines. Where crime never forgets.