Warren Kimbro
Encyclopedia
Warren Aloysious Kimbro (April 29, 1934 – February 3, 2009) was a Black Panther Party
member in New Haven, Connecticut
who was found guilty of the May 21, 1969, murder of New York
Panther Alex Rackley
, in the first of the New Haven Black Panther trials
in 1970. Kimbro had been a resident of the New Haven Panther headquarters at 365 Orchard Street, where Rackley was held and tortured for two days under suspicion of being an informant for the FBI's COINTELPRO
program. It was established at the trial that afterwards, Kimbro, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Panther Lonnie McLucas
, and national Panther field marshal
George W. Sams, Jr.
had driven Rackley to the marshes of Middlefield, Connecticut
, where Kimbro and McLucas had each shot Rackley, on Sams' orders. Sams testified that national Panther leader Bobby Seale
, who had been speaking at Yale University
the day before the murder, had personally ordered the killing, but there was no corroborating evidence; the jury in Seale's subsequent trial was unable to reach a verdict, and the prosecution chose not to re-try the case.
Many commentators believed that, in fact, Sams had not only orchestrated the murder, but had done so to cover up the fact that he was the informant
and agent provocateur
, even though they have no corroborating evidence to prove this claim. According to Michael Koskoff, one of the lawyers for McLucas,
At the trial, Sams and Kimbro both turned state's evidence
in exchange for the reduced charge of second degree murder, for which each received the mandatory life sentence and served four years. Kimbro afterwards attended Harvard University
.
The case later became part of an urban legend
that Hillary Clinton defended Bobby Seale and helped him get acquitted. This was not, in fact, the case as Clinton was a student at the time and not a lawyer. The legend also claims that Kimbro and Al Gore
became friends at Harvard, although Gore attended Harvard from 1965 through 1969, several years before Kimbro.
For more than 20 years, Kimbro was president and CEO of Project MORE, a non-profit agency in New Haven that offers both day programs and residence to ex-convicts, helping them to re-enter society.
The Rackley case and Kimbro's journey from murderer to one who rehabilitates convicts were the subjects of a 2006 book, Murder in the Model City: The Black Panthers, Yale and the Redemption of a Killer by Paul Bass, editor of The New Haven Independent, and Douglas Rae, professor of management and political science at the Yale School of Management
. (Basic Books
, 304 pages).
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
member in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
who was found guilty of the May 21, 1969, murder of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Panther Alex Rackley
Alex Rackley
Alex Rackley was a member of the New York chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s. In May 1969, Rackley was suspected by other Panthers of being a police informant...
, in the first of the New Haven Black Panther trials
New Haven Black Panther trials
In 1970 there were a series of criminal prosecutions in New Haven, Connecticut against various members of the Black Panther Party. The charges ranged from criminal conspiracy to felony murder. All indictments stemmed from the murder of nineteen-year-old Alex Rackley in the early hours of May 21,...
in 1970. Kimbro had been a resident of the New Haven Panther headquarters at 365 Orchard Street, where Rackley was held and tortured for two days under suspicion of being an informant for the FBI's COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO was a series of covert, and often illegal, projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic political organizations.COINTELPRO tactics included discrediting targets through psychological...
program. It was established at the trial that afterwards, Kimbro, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
Panther Lonnie McLucas
Lonnie McLucas
Lonnie McLucas was a Black Panther Party member in Bridgeport, Connecticut who was found guilty of the May 21, 1969 murder of New York Panther Alex Rackley, in the first of the New Haven Black Panther trials in 1970. Rackley had been held and tortured at New Haven, Connecticut Panther headquarters...
, and national Panther field marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
George W. Sams, Jr.
George W. Sams, Jr.
George W. Sams, Jr. was a Black Panther who implicated Bobby Seale in the 1969 murder of New York Panther Alex Rackley. This resulted in the New Haven Black Panther trials of 1970....
had driven Rackley to the marshes of Middlefield, Connecticut
Middlefield, Connecticut
Middlefield is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,203 at the 2000 census. The town includes the village of Rockfall-History:...
, where Kimbro and McLucas had each shot Rackley, on Sams' orders. Sams testified that national Panther leader Bobby Seale
Bobby Seale
Robert George "Bobby" Seale , is an activist. He is known for co-founding the Black Panther Party with Huey Newton.-Early life:...
, who had been speaking at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
the day before the murder, had personally ordered the killing, but there was no corroborating evidence; the jury in Seale's subsequent trial was unable to reach a verdict, and the prosecution chose not to re-try the case.
Many commentators believed that, in fact, Sams had not only orchestrated the murder, but had done so to cover up the fact that he was the informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
and agent provocateur
Agent provocateur
Traditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
, even though they have no corroborating evidence to prove this claim. According to Michael Koskoff, one of the lawyers for McLucas,
- "Many of the people in the New Haven chapter of the Panthers were middle classMiddle classThe middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
. They were defined more by their propagandaPropagandaPropaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
than by their own personalities. And they were young and impressionable.
At the trial, Sams and Kimbro both turned state's evidence
State's Evidence
State's Evidence is an independent film created in 2004 and released in 2006, directed by Benjamin Louis and starring Douglas Smith, Alexa Vega, Majandra Delfino, Kris Lemche, Cody McMains, and Drew Tyler Bell.-Plot summary:...
in exchange for the reduced charge of second degree murder, for which each received the mandatory life sentence and served four years. Kimbro afterwards attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
The case later became part of an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that Hillary Clinton defended Bobby Seale and helped him get acquitted. This was not, in fact, the case as Clinton was a student at the time and not a lawyer. The legend also claims that Kimbro and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
became friends at Harvard, although Gore attended Harvard from 1965 through 1969, several years before Kimbro.
For more than 20 years, Kimbro was president and CEO of Project MORE, a non-profit agency in New Haven that offers both day programs and residence to ex-convicts, helping them to re-enter society.
The Rackley case and Kimbro's journey from murderer to one who rehabilitates convicts were the subjects of a 2006 book, Murder in the Model City: The Black Panthers, Yale and the Redemption of a Killer by Paul Bass, editor of The New Haven Independent, and Douglas Rae, professor of management and political science at the Yale School of Management
Yale School of Management
The Yale School of Management is the graduate business school of Yale University and is located on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The School offers Master of Business Administration and Ph.D. degree programs. As of January 2011, 454 students were enrolled in its MBA...
. (Basic Books
Basic Books
Basic Books is a book publisher founded in 1952 and located in New York. It publishes books in the fields of psychology, philosophy, economics, science, politics, sociology, current affairs, and history.-History:...
, 304 pages).
External links
- "Justice in New Haven" a TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
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