Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr.

Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr.
Undated mug shot of Blanton taken by the Alabama Department of Corrections
Born(1938-06-20)June 20, 1938
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedJune 26, 2020(2020-06-26) (aged 82)
William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
Known forParticipant in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
ParentThomas Edwin "Pops" Blanton Sr.
MotiveWhite supremacy
Conviction(s)First degree murder (4 counts)
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Partner(s)

Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. (June 20, 1938 – June 26, 2020) was an American terrorist and convicted felon, formerly serving four life sentences for his role as conspirator in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1963, which killed four African American girls (Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, and Denise McNair).[1] Blanton, along with Bobby Frank Cherry, was convicted in 2001 in a highly publicized trial of the cold case.[2] Future United States Senator Doug Jones successfully prosecuted Blanton and Cherry.[3]

  1. ^ Sack, Kevin (May 2, 2001). "Ex-Klansman Is Found Guilty in '63 Bombing". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
  2. ^ "16th Street Baptist Church bombing | History & Four Girls". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  3. ^ Reeves, Jay (May 23, 2002). "Case closed; Cherry guilty". TimesDaily. Associated Press. Retrieved May 27, 2019.