Roman Ducksworth Jr. | Un(re)solved | FRONTLINE | PBS| Web Interactive

Corporal Roman Ducksworth Jr. was a 27-year-old military policeman stationed at Fort Ritchie, Maryland, when he received a call to return home to his wife who was experiencing complications with her pregnancy. Ducksworth, a Black man, made the thousand-mile journey home to Mississippi but never made it to his wife. He was shot and killed at the Taylorsville bus station on April 9, 1962.

Ducksworth had fallen asleep on the final leg of his journey. According to a Department of Justice memo on the case, upon arriving at the bus station, the driver tried to rouse Ducksworth. Unable to do so, the driver called local Taylorsville police officer William Kelly for assistance. At least one witness reported that Kelly boarded the bus and woke Ducksworth by slapping him in the face then escorted Ducksworth off the bus.