▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁ 4 1 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁mur ders ▁of ▁James ▁Chan ey , ▁Andrew ▁Good man , ▁and ▁Michael ▁Sch wer ner , ▁Ed gar ▁Ray ▁Kill en ▁was ▁found ▁guilty ▁of ▁three ▁counts ▁of ▁m ans la ugh ter ▁and ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ 6 0 ▁years ▁in ▁prison . ▁ ▁R ita ▁test ified ▁and ▁respond ed ▁to ▁the ▁ver dict ▁with : ▁▁ ▁On ▁the ▁one ▁hand , ▁I ▁understood ▁the ▁symbol ic ▁importance ▁of ▁a ▁conv iction ▁and ▁the ▁real ▁importance ▁of ▁it . ▁This ▁man ▁should ▁have ▁been ▁conv icted ▁of ▁murder . ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁a ▁j ury ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁people ▁in ▁this ▁county ▁could ▁not ▁agree ▁to ▁conv ict ▁him ▁of ▁murder ▁indicates ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁still ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁who ▁choose ▁to ▁look ▁the ▁other ▁way . ▁The ▁one ▁thing ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁have ▁found ▁was ▁that ▁he ▁acted ▁with ▁mal ice . ▁No ▁one ▁sitting ▁and ▁listening ▁to ▁evidence ▁this ▁week ▁could ▁have ▁truly ▁believed ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁intend ▁to ▁have ▁these ▁men ▁killed . ▁ ▁Cont in ued ▁civil ▁rights ▁activ ism ▁After ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁death , ▁Sch wer ner ▁stayed ▁in ▁Mississippi ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁purs ue ▁civil ▁rights ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Fre edom ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁In ▁particular ▁she ▁worked ▁on ▁an ▁action ▁" ch alleng [ ing ] ▁the ▁all - white ▁Mississippi ▁deleg ation " ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 6