10 years after the Hate Crimes Prevention Act is signed, hate crimes in America are on the rise. Uncovered explores some of the most brutal cases- Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr., Charlottesville riots, Blaze Bernstein and the Portland train attack.
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DA Guy James Gray says he was not thrilled to take on the murder trial of three men responsible for the dragging death of James Byrd, but he knew how important it was. He received death threats, but was buoyed by the sense that the African-American community felt they had a chance to see justice done on their behalf.
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Acting teacher Philip Schwadron recalls teaching Samuel Woodward for a semester, before Woodward would murder Blaze Bernstein. He was humorless, angry and "getting angrier" throughout the year, he says.
Ricky Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche died standing up for others' rights, in the horrific 2017 Portland train attack. The two teenage girls the men defended from a violent racist speak about their legacy, and get broken up thinking, "If they didn't stand up for me, they could still be here."
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ADL's Oren Segal and Chapman University's Peter Simi have seen white supremacist groups mobilizing more effectively for years, and Charlottesville was a natural outgrowth of that, they say.
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The term "lone wolf" is problematic, Peter Simi says, because it was originated by neo-Nazis, and can be used to downplay violent extremist acts as isolated incidents. Worse, it can romanticize them.
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ADL's Oren Segal says hate crimes are designed to strike fear into the broader community, not just the individual attacked. And with social media, extremists can "pile on" after the fact, too.
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Laura Coates compares the anonymity of the Internet and social media to the Klan's hoods. If that's the case, law enforcement should use its tools to "lift the hood," she says.
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Former prosecutor, and 'Killed By Hate' host Laura Coates says extremist groups will incite people to commit crimes on social media while hiding behind the First Amendment's right to free speech.
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Jeremy Christian fatally stabbed two men and injured another when they interceded between him and two young black women he was verbally assaulting.
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Heather Heyer's mom, Susan Bro, recalls the neo-Nazi, alt-right and KKK rally in August 2017 in the ostensibly progressive town of Charlottesville. Heather would lose her life that day.
