A CROSS BURNING IN WILLACOOCHEE - Documentary

Its a question that gives Roy Kirkland pause. But its a question viewers may wonder after watching his and Doug Sebastians new documentary, A Cross Burning in Willacoochee.

Had Kirkland not found another place to stay after a group of men yelled anti-gay slurs in front of his house on a night in 1993, does he believe he would have been harmed or killed?

After all, someone had earlier burned a cross in the front yard of his and Sebastians Willacoochee residence on July 21, 1993. The gay couples mailbox had been destroyed twice. Death threats had been left on their phones answering machine. A Willacoochee City Council member had already told a newspaper reporter that the South Georgia town was mostly anti-gay. Investigations into the cross burning had produced no suspects.

So, after all of this, when a group of men stopped in front of his house yelling threats, Kirkland left town that night to stay in a room in a Tifton motel where Sebastian worked.

Returning home the next day, Sebastian and Kirkland discovered their residence destroyed by fire. They found yellow police tape around the property, but firefighters and officials had already left the scene. Though authorities and neighbors knew where Sebastian worked, no one had called him about the fire. The streets were empty, which is strange for small towns where residents have a habit of regularly driving by the site of a fire.

Sixteen years later, looking back, does Roy Kirkland believe he would have been harmed had he stayed home that night?

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Documentary
• movie
• hate
• crimes
• crossburning
• Willacoochee
• police
• Councilman
• deaththreat
• Statefarm
• Insurance