Overview

• The Mississippi Department of Archives and History presented a .45-caliber pistol and holster belonging to J.W. Milam at a news conference on Aug. 28, 2025.
• Officials authenticated the weapon by matching its serial number to FBI records, and it is now installed in the Emmett Till exhibit at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.
• The pistol was donated by a Mississippi Delta family that requested anonymity, according to the museum.
• Emmett Till, 14, was abducted by Milam and Roy Bryant in 1955 and later found in the Tallahatchie River after being tortured and killed; an all-white jury acquitted the men.
• Museum director Michael Morris said the anniversary and display are intended to spur reflection on Till’s influence on social change, echoing the impact of Mamie Till-Mobley’s open-casket decision and national coverage.