Bennie Jack Hays was the father of Henry Francis Hays. Both of them were convicted in the murder of Michael Donald in 1981.
According to WSFA, the trustees of the University of Alabama decided that the building name of the former governor of the Ku Klux Klan would be considered the first black person to attend the school.
As the organization surfaces once again on the web, it also reminds the people of the horrifying incident that also caused the downfall of the Ku Klux Klan.
The lynching of Michael Donald by the second-highest-ranking official, Bennie Jack Hays, and his son, Henry Francis Hays, is an incident that anyone could hardly forget.
Who Was Bennie Jack Hays? Wikipedia Of Henry Francis Hays Father Explored
Bennie Jack Hays was the second-highest-ranking official in the UKA, but he is not available on Wikipedia. He is also the father of Henry Francis Hays, who brutally murdered a young black male, Michael Donald, in 1981.
Bennie was also on trial for the 1981 abduction and murder of Michael Donald, a black teen who was kidnapped at random. He was cut in the throat, and his body was hung from a tree.
He was accused of ordering the murder of a black man to show Klan power and in retaliation for the mistrial of a black man convicted of murdering a white police officer.
A federal jury ordered United Klans of America Inc. to compensate Donald’s family $7 million. Additionally, when Hays fainted in the courtroom during his first criminal trial in the Donald case in 1988, the case has declared a mistrial.
His lawyer was willing to go forward with the proceedings, but he passed away in 1993 because of a heart attack before retiring.
Who Is Bennie Jack Hays Wife?
According to the information in Findagrave, Bennie Jack had a wife named Opal G. Frazer Hays. Besides, it seems they shared only one child named Henry Francis Hays.
In addition, Bennie’s spouse passed away before him. She died in 1985. It seems all the members of their family have passed away now.
Bennie died in 1993, whereas his son, Henry, was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1997. Initially, the jury voted in favor of life imprisonment, but the judge overruled the verdict and sentenced him to death.
He was executed in “Yellow Mama,” Alabama’s electric chair, on June 6, 1997. One of the witnesses of the execution was Michael’s brother.
Lynching Of Michael Donald Was The Last In U.S. History
Michael Donald is one of the last reported victims of lynching in U.S. history. He was beaten and killed by several members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1981. He was 19 when he was murdered.
The world remembers him every year on his death anniversary. In addition, there is a movie based on his story, Line of Fire which portrays the court case related to his murder.
Similarly, in 2021, CNN produced a mini-series named The People v. The Klan that explains his mother’s struggle, Beulah Mae Donald, in fighting for justice.