After death of Emmett Till’s accuser, Chicago-area cousin says, ‘No one now will be’ held accountable

The grave marker for Emmett Till at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip. His lynching was a tipping point for the civil rights moment. (AP file photo)

Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Emmett Till’s cousin and best friend, was with Till in Mississippi and in the room when he was abducted.

Till’s kidnapping and lynching in 1955 became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. But when it was announced Thursday that the woman whose accusations led to Till’s slaying had died, Parker extended grace.