Dexter Wade Receives Dignified Funeral After Initial Burial in Paupers' Cemetery

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump calls for Justice Department investigation into handling of Wade's death by local officials.

Dexter Wade, a 37-year-old Black man, was hit and killed by an off-duty Jackson Police Department officer's SUV on March 5, 2023, while walking across a highway.
Wade's family was not informed of his death until late August, and discovered he had been buried in a paupers' cemetery near the Hinds County Penal Farm.
Wade's body was exhumed on November 13, and an independent autopsy revealed he had been buried with his state ID, home address, credit card, and health insurance card in his pocket.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing Wade's family and has been urging the Justice Department to investigate why local officials failed to notify Wade's family of his death.
On November 20, 2023, Wade received a dignified funeral and burial, attended by over 200 people including civil rights leaders and U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.