Family Demands DOJ Probe After Police Cruiser Fatally Strikes Man, Secretly Buries Him in Pauper's Field
Family demands exhumation and independent autopsy after man killed by police cruiser, buried secretly Urges DOJ to investigate shocking lack of transparency and justice in Mississippi case
The family of a man from Mississippi who was killed by a Jackson Police Department vehicle in March is seeking to have his body exhumed and independently autopsied. They also want the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation. Dexter Wade, 37, was reported missing by his mother on March 14, but she did not learn of his death until August 24.
The Jackson Police Department confirmed that Wade was hit by a department vehicle and stated that there was no intention to cause harm in the delay of notifying the next-of-kin. The City of Jackson issued a statement to CNN, expressing their sadness about the incident and stating that their investigation found no ill-intent on the part of any Jackson police staff.
Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, center, speaks alongside the family of Dexter Wade during a news conference in Jackson, Mississippi, on October 30, 2023.
According to a statement from the police, on March 5th, 2023, authorities responded to a pedestrian accident on I-55 South. Unfortunately, the victim passed away, and initially, the officers were unable to ascertain the victim's identity. However, the coroner's office was able to later identify the victim as Dexter Wade through medication discovered in his pocket.
Jackson police stated that they were unable to notify Wade's family due to obsolete contact information. The police statement revealed that Mr. Wade's contact details were outdated, preventing both the coroner's office and the investigating officers from getting in touch with his family.
On July 13, 2022, in Akron, Ohio, a person is seen departing from the funeral of Jayland Walker at the Akron Civic Theatre. The photograph is credited to Phil Masturzo of the Akron Beacon Journal, distributed through the USA Today Network.
The shooting death of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old, involved the active participation of eight Akron police officers, who are now back on duty. The police have admitted that the investigators failed to establish a connection between a missing persons report and Walker's death. According to their statement, the missing persons officers were unaware that the pedestrian victim on March 5th and the person reported missing on March 14th were one and the same.
"Our sincerest prayers and condolences go out to the Wade family in the death of their loved one" the Jackson police statement reads.
Wades mother, however, is dubious about that sincerity.
"I requested their assistance," stated Bettersten Wade. "Repeatedly, they informed me that they were unable to locate any information. If the authorities were aware of his identity from the beginning, and I reported him missing on the fourteenth day, they simply had to inform me that Mr. Wade's body was in the morgue."
On Monday, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wade family, announced his intention to file a petition seeking the exhumation of Wade's body from the burial site known as the "paupers field."
In a news release, Crump announced that the current burial site of Wade is identified merely by a pole and a number in the field. Crump assured that following the exhumation of Wade's remains, they would arrange for an impartial autopsy and subsequently organize a fitting funeral and burial service for him. Crump emphasized their determination to ensure that Dexter Wade's case receives proper attention and is not forgotten.
