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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 4 november 2020
Louisiana man gets 25 years for torching 3 Black churches

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — A Reconstruction period and,
Louisiana man who ad- for generations, were a
mitted to burning down place for predominantly
three predominantly Afri- African American Chris-
can American churches tians to gather, pray, wor-
to promote himself as a ship, and celebrate their
"black metal" musician was faith," Assistant Attorney
sentenced Monday to 25 General Eric Dreiband of
years in prison and ordered the Civil Rights Division, said
to pay the churches $2.6 in the news release.
million. "The churches survived for
U.S. District Judge Robert nearly 150 years but did
Summerhays of Lafayette not survive this defendant's
sentenced Holden Mat- warped act of hatred."
thews, giving the 23-year- The judge asked the Bu-
old man credit for 18 reau of Prisons to put Mat-
months he already spent in thews in a prison near his
jail, U.S. Attorney Alexander family and to ensure that
Van Hook said in a news re- he gets substance abuse
lease. counseling and mental
"Matthews admitted to set- health treatment, KATC-TV
ting the fires because of the reported.
religious character of these The hearing had begun Fri-
buildings, in an effort to day but was cut short after
raise his profile as a 'Black new evidence was intro-
Metal' musician by copying duced. On Friday, clinical
similar crimes committed in psychologist and Louisiana
Norway in the 1990s," the This file booking image provided by the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal shows Holden State University professor
statement said. Matthews. Mary Lou Kelley — a de-
Matthews had shown inter- Associated Press fense witness — testified
est in "black metal," an ex- that Matthews struggles
treme subgenre of heavy ported. Act and to one of using fire were empty at the time of with anxiety, depression
metal, according to au- He had pleaded guilty to to commit a federal felony. the fires, and no one was and arrested social devel-
thorities. both state and federal Summerhays ordered him injured. opment.
The music has been linked, charges. Summerhays said to pay $1.1 million in resti- Although race was not Matthews pleaded guilty
in some instances, to fires at that when Matthews is sen- tution to Mt. Pleasant Mis- considered a motive, Sum- in state court to three state
Christian churches in Nor- tenced in state court, that sionary Baptist Church and merhays said, he had to hate crime counts, two of
way. judge may order the sen- $970,213.30 to Greater consider that the crime simple arson of a religious
Matthews told the judge, tence to be served at the Union Baptist Church, both brought the church com- building and one of aggra-
pastors and congregations same time as the federal in Opelousas, and $590,246 munities back to a dark vated arson of a religious
of the three Baptist church- one. to St. Mary Missionary Bap- time of racial discrimina- building. That sentencing
es that he was deeply sorry Matthews pleaded guilty tist Church in Port Barre. tion, the newspaper report- had been scheduled Mon-
and wanted them to know in federal court to three All three were burned down ed. day but was postponed
he had recovered his faith counts of violating the over 10 days in March and "These churches trace their with no date set, The Advo-
in God, The Advocate re- Church Arson Prevention April of 2019. The churches origins to the post-Civil War cate reported.q

Whitey Bulger's family: Prison system did not protect him

Federal Bureau of Prisons The family also alleges the the New England mob, his the lawsuit.
and 30 unnamed employ- prison system was aware gang's main rival, in an era "Predictably, within hours
ees of the prison system for that Bulger was labeled a when bringing down the of his placement in general
failing to protect Bulger, "snitch," and that he was Mafia was a top national population at Hazelton, in-
who was beaten to death perhaps the most well- priority for the FBI. mates believed to be from
at a West Virginia prison. known inmate to be incar- He became one of the New England and who are
The family filed the lawsuit cerated since Al Capone, nation's most-wanted fugi- alleged to have Mafia ties
against the prison system but yet did not do enough tives after fleeing Boston in or loyalties, killed James
last week, two years af- to shield him from the other late 1994. After more than Bulger Jr. utilizing methods
ter Bulger, 89, was killed at inmates. 16 years on the run, Bulger that included the use of a
United States Penitentiary, The Bureau of Federal Pris- was captured at age 81 in lock in a sock-type weap-
Hazelton, a federal prison ons did not respond to a Santa Monica, California. on," the lawsuit reads.
in West Virginia's Preston request for comment Mon- He was later convicted in According to the Bulger

This June 23, 2011, file booking County. Bulger died the day. 2013 of participating in 11 family, no information has
photo provided by the U.S. same day that he was Bulger was the leader of murders and other crimes. been received about an
Marshals Service shows James transferred there from an- the Winter Hill Gang, an Bulger was moved to the investigation into Bulger's
"Whitey" Bulger. other prison. Irish-American organized West Virginia prison after death or his transfer to Ha-
Associated Press The lawsuit said the prison crime operation that ran being initially housed in zelton.
BRUCETON MILLS, W.Va. system failed to protect loan-sharking, gambling Florida and in Tuscon, Ari- The family is seeking dam-
(AP) — Family members of Bulger by moving him to and drug rackets in South zona, two prisons known ages for Bulger's physical
Boston crime boss James Hazelton, a prison with Boston. for protecting inmates who and emotional pain and
"Whitey" Bulger Jr. have constant inmate violence, He was also an FBI infor- may be at risk because of suffering, as well as for
filed a lawsuit against the news outlets reported. mant who snitched on their crimes, according to wrongful death.q