Jones prosecuted Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherry , two members of the Ku Klux Klan , for their roles in the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing . The case was reopened the year before Jones was appointed , but did not pick up traction until his appointment . A federal grand jury was called in 1998 , which piqued the attention of Cherry 's ex-wife , Willadean Cherry , and led her to call the FBI to report her testimony . Willadean then introduced Jones to family and friends , who reported their own experiences from the time of the bombing . A key piece of evidence was a tape from the time of the bombing in which Blanton stated that he had plotted with others to make the bomb . Jones was deputized in order to argue in state court and was able to indict Blanton and Cherry in 2000 . Blanton was found guilty in 2001 , and Cherry was found guilty in 2002 . Both Blanton and Cherry were sentenced to life in prison . Blanton was up for parole in 2016 , at which Jones spoke in opposition to his potential release . Blanton 's parole was denied . Cherry died in prison in 2004
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
Doug Jones (politician)