ney ▁M ize ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁failed ▁to ▁ind ict ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁mob ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁vote . ▁Before ▁the ▁trial , ▁D ale ▁went ▁to ▁meet ▁M ize ▁and ▁managed ▁to ▁conv ince ▁him ▁to ▁narrow ▁the ▁Federal ▁kid nap ing ▁stat ute ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁last ▁grand ▁j ury ▁conven ed , ▁Pop lar ville ▁mayor ▁Pat ▁Hy de ▁stated ▁that ▁“ you ▁couldn ’ t ▁conv ict ▁the ▁guilty ▁parties ▁if ▁you ▁had ▁sound ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁l yn ch ing ,” ▁and ▁an ▁un named ▁Pop lar ville ▁business man ▁r het or ically ▁asked ▁why ▁the ▁F BI ▁even ▁bother ed ▁to ▁investigate ▁since ▁no ▁j ury ▁would ▁conv ict ▁the ▁kill ers . ▁ ▁Re actions ▁ ▁A ▁May ▁ 1 1 ▁article ▁in ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Def ender , ▁a ▁popular ▁black ▁newspaper ▁circul ated ▁throughout ▁the ▁South , ▁rec ount ed ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁an ▁anonymous ▁white ▁male ▁from ▁Pop lar ville , ▁claim ing ▁to ▁have ▁personal ▁knowledge ▁that ▁the ▁charges ▁against ▁Parker ▁were ▁fabric ated . ▁The ▁alleg ed ▁witness ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁victim , ▁June ▁Wal ters , ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁having ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁a ▁local ▁white ▁man , ▁and ▁she ▁went ▁with ▁him ▁while ▁her ▁husband , ▁Jimmy , ▁was ▁gone ▁to ▁get ▁help ▁to ▁fix ▁the ▁car . ▁When ▁her ▁absence ▁was ▁discovered ▁before ▁she ▁returned , ▁she ▁con co cted ▁a ▁ra pe ▁and ▁kid n apping ▁story ▁to ▁shield ▁her