Officials taking no chances in preparation for Killen trial

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. -- The case of a reputed Klansman accused in the killings of three civil rights workers generates chatter on hate group Web sites, but so far only one white supremacist has made plans to hold a rally at the trial.

Still, police chief David Edwards said when it comes to security for the June 13 trial of Edgar Ray Killen, he'd rather err on the side of caution. Edwards plans to put at least 50 officers at the Neshoba County Courthouse each day of the trial.

The murders of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman are among the most notorious of the civil rights era. The three men were ambushed and killed in 1964 for helping to register black people to vote.

Killen was indicted in January on three counts of murder for allegedly orchestrating the slayings in rural Neshoba County. A 1967 federal trial revealed that the killings were part of a Ku Klux Klan conspiracy.

Mark Potok, spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., said he would be surprised if there was an organized march or protest at Killen's trial.

Killen is back home following a lengthy hospital stay after he broke both his legs in a logging accident March 10.

Neshoba County Sheriff Larry Myers said no additional security will be provided for Killen during the trial.

"He can roll his wheelchair right up to the defendant's table," Myers said.