On Monday, the body of Dexter Wade, fatally struck in Jackson, Mississippi by an off-duty police officer driving a police SUV, was exhumed months after officials neglected to inform his family of his demise. During a press conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, alongside local leaders and relatives of 37-year-old Wade, announced the hiring of an independent medical examiner for a post-mortem examination.
Additionally, they plan to organize a proper funeral for Wade. Despite the release of Dexter Wade’s remains on Monday, his family expressed dissatisfaction, stating that officials did not adhere to the agreed-upon timeline set by a county attorney for the exhumation.
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“Now’ I ask’ can I exhume my child and try to bet some peace and try to get a state of mind,” said Dexter Wade’s mother, Bettersten Wade. “Now y’all take that from me. I couldn’t even see him come out of the ground.”
Dexter Wade’s family, attorneys, and witnesses reported being denied the opportunity to witness the exhumation. It occurred several hours earlier than indicated by county officials. In a letter reviewed by The Associated Press, Hinds County Board Attorney Tony Gaylor informed Dennis Sweet, one of Bettersten Wade’s attorneys, that they had scheduled the exhumation for 11:30 a.m. Gaylor did not promptly respond to emails and phone calls seeking comments.
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Reverend Ronald Moore of Stronger Hope Baptist Church recounted arriving at the pauper’s cemetery near the Hinds County Penal Farm in the Jackson suburb of Raymond at approximately 10:30 a.m. Officials informed him that the body had already been removed. Subsequently, he received conflicting information, suggesting the body might still be present. However, neither Moore, Dexter Wade’s family, nor the attorneys were able to witness the body until hours later.
“It’s a low-down dirty shame what happened today.” Crump said. “What happened to Dexter Wade in March and what happened to Dexter Wade here today reeks to the high heavens.”
Bettersten Wade last saw her son on March 5 when he left home, according to Crump. Several days later, they filed a missing persons report. It wasn’t until late August that Bettersten Wade discovered her son was killed by a police vehicle on the day.
The coroner identified Dexter Wade, in part, through a bottle of prescription medication found with him. Crump stated that the coroner contacted a medical clinic to obtain information about his next of kin. Despite being unable to reach Bettersten Wade, the coroner allegedly communicated multiple times with Jackson police.
Dexter Wade was laid to rest in a pauper’s cemetery before his family received notification of his death, as reported by NBC News.
City officials, including Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, have characterized the incident as an accident, emphasizing the absence of malicious intent. On Monday, Crump reiterated his plea for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the events surrounding Dexter Wade’s death and its aftermath. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, representing most of Jackson in his district, echoed the same call on Monday.
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“The system owes Mr. Wade’s family an explanation for the callous manner in which his untimely death was mishandled,” Thompson said in a statement.
On Monday, Bettersten Wade hoped to witness the raising of her son’s body from the ground. Instead, she had to settle for watching it being transferred from the back of the coroner’s vehicle into a hearse.