James Edward Evansingston

On December 24, 1955, the body of James Edward Evansingston, a 52-year-old African-American educator, was found drowned in Long Lake a few miles outside of Drew, Mississippi. Ed Grittman, the owner of a nearby farm, found the victim’s body in a few feet of water near the end of a bridge. The victim had been last seen by relatives when he left his house three days earlier. Prior to finding the victim’s body, Grittman had found the victim’s car, inside which was a note from the victim to his wife and friends stating that the victim could not “stand [his] sickness and worries any longer.” On the reverse side of the note, the victim had stated that the car-keys were in his “pocket in the lake.” A coroner’s hearing held on December 24, 1955, concluded that the victim’s death was self-inflicted. An autopsy conducted on December 27, 1955, found no evidence of foul play.