William McGee, a Black man in Mississippi, was arrested after a white woman accused him of a serious crime. He was convicted at his initial trial and sentenced to death. His defense argued the trial was unfair and highlighted systemic problems such as the exclusion of Black citizens from juries.

Lawyers for McGee filed multiple appeals that produced temporary stays of execution and drew national and international attention from civil rights activists who called the case a miscarriage of justice. The appeals ultimately failed, and Mississippi carried out his execution after years of legal battles. Supporters viewed the outcome as a legalized lynching and a stark example of racial injustice in the Jim Crow South.

What details about the trial or the appeals might still help clarify whether McGee received a fair process?