The Till Packet contains two packs describing the murder case of Emmett Till. The first article “The Shocking Story of Approved Killing in Mississippi” by William Bradford Huie was written at the time the murder case took place. This article is written in the form of a story with dialogue. The article focuses on Carolyn Halloway and Roy Bryant. After being dared to go in and speak to Carolyn, Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American boy described as looking like a man, asks Carolyn out. After being ushered out by his cousins, he whistles at Carolyn giving the case its name The Wolf-Whistle Murder. When Roy found out, he took his brother J.W. Milam to find the boy and teach him a lesson. However, upon finding Emmett Till not scared they killed him. The article concludes saying the majority approved these actions.
The second article, “The Murder of Emmett Till” by Randy Sparkman was written about 49 years after the first article. In an effort to try old civil rights crimes, The Wolf-Whistle Murder was once more brought to light. Though giving a brief summary of the case, the article mainly talks about the author of the first article Huie, a civil rights reporter. Intending to shame Mississippi, Huie paid Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam to talk and tell their story. Though the article outraged many, there were also many who quietly promoted it. Now the courts are debating indicting an old field hand and Southern wife who may have helped with Emmett’s murder. Sparkman thus poses the question, will the passage of time and change of views change the way in which people view their actions?