Burning cross reappears in Mississippi county 2 years after previous one

Therese Apel
Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Two years ago to the day that a burning cross was found in Lawrence County in 2016, another one was found on a state road sign on Mississippi 27 just over the state line.

What was left of a burning cross in Lawrence County.

The Daily Leader's Donna Campbell reported that motorists Lawrence County Sheriff Lessie Butler told them that motorists saw the burning cross and reported it to authorities.

The cross, which the sheriff said is about two feet tall and was made from flammable materials, was attached to a can of what appeared to be freon. 

Butler told the Daily Leader the call came in that something was on fire at the county line.

Lawrence County Fire Coordinator Jared Evans said the cross was attached to the sign by coat hangers. The fire was put out by a passer by with a fire extinguisher before firefighters got there.

2016:Burning cross found in Lawrence County

It's the second burning cross in Lawrence County in two years, and the other was two years ago to the day.

“We called the FBI and because nobody got hurt and it wasn’t in a predominantly black community during that time, they said there wasn’t a lot they could do with it but file it. I guess we’ll do the same thing with this one,” Butler told the Leader about the first one.

More:Burning cross under investigation by FBI, local authorities in Covington County

Lawrence County did not alert the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is not yet clear if they notified the FBI in Saturday's case.

The Clarion Ledger has left messages for the sheriff and others involved in the case. We will update as we have more information.

If you have information on this crime, please call the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office at 601-587-2961.

If you have photos of this breaking news event, please share them with us at tapel@gannett.com.