Men who were lynched more than a century ago are innocent, judge finds

CULPEPER, Va. (AP) — Three Black men who were lynched by mobs in Virginia during the 1800s and early 1900s have been declared innocent by a judge. The Washington Post reported Friday that the men were Charles Allie Thompson, William Thompson and William Grayson. Each was killed in rural Culpeper County. Circuit Court Judge Dale Durrer found that the men were innocent because they were denied due process. Durrer did so at the request of prosecutor Russell Rabb. Zann Nelson is credited with making the ruling possible. She spent nearly 20 years researching the cases and pestering local officials.