Mayor Freddie O'Connell today released the following statement regarding three cold case bombings from Nashville's Civil Rights era:
"Today, I was pleased to join and introduce Betsy Phillips as she launched her book, Dynamite Nashville: Unmasking the FBI, the KKK, and the Bombers Beyond Their Control.
This book is not the last word on the bombings of Hattie Cotton School in September 1957, the Nashville Jewish Community Center in March 1958, and the home of Council Member Z. Alexander Looby in 1960. For 64 years, the question of who is responsible for three bombings has gone unresolved. The book doesn't have all the answers, but it can be the beginning of new discovery and a new conversation.
Today, I announced that I have asked MNPD Chief John Drake to assign an investigator from the cold case unit to become a lead investigator into who is responsible for these bombings.
In addition, because information relating to these cases has been lost to us due to the destruction of records over time, I've asked the Metro Department of Law to work with the Metro Public Records Commission on recommendations for improvements in records retention so important records are not lost to future generations."
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