Immigration Flashpoints

April 30th, 2007 – Tifton, GA

Six Mexican immigrants - Mateo Gomez, his son José Luís Tías, Felipe Mauricio Esparza, Guadalupe Sanchez, Armando Perez Martínez, and Mauricío Florindo - are murdered, and at least five others are badly injured, when a group of African Americans rampage through four trailer parks known for housing immigrant workers. The parks are also known for home invasions; more than 20 homes there have been invaded in the months prior to the murders.

Three suspects - Jennifer Wilson, Stacy Sims, and Jamie Underwood - are arrested and charged with six counts of murder each. Sims and Underwood are also charged with rape and aggravated assault. District Attorney Paul Bowden announces that he will seek the death penalty.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Vernon Keenan tells CNN that the victims "are easy targets because they do not speak English. They're undocumented workers. They keep cash on their persons [and] in their homes. And they are reluctant to report crimes to law enforcement."

When Tifton's mayor Paul Johnson decides to display the Mexican flag over City Hall out of respect and sympathy for the victims, callers to a local radio station bristle with anger and resentment.