...is this the response by non-white youths?
Useless sh*ts murder a defenseless old man who was a real contributor to his community
What have any of this useless and cowardly dreck ever done for anyone? They should fry
A World War II veteran who became known as the 'Tamale King' and was a celebrity of the Delta region in Mississippi has been laid to rest with Navy honors after he was brutally murdered during a botched robbery.
Lawrence E. Thornton, 87, was a pillar of his community, beloved by all who knew him - especially his two sons, seven grand-children and six great-grandchildren.
His funeral Thursday included a U.S. Navy Honor Guard and the honor guard from his local Knights of Columbus society - a tribute to both his stature and his service aboard a Navy minesweeper in the Pacific during the Second World War.
'Shine' Thornton died October 20 - two days after he was attacked in his own driveway in Greenville, Mississippi, by four teens who wanted his wallet. Police allege they battered the elderly man and pushed him to the ground before robbing him.
Terrance Morgan, 19, Edward Johnson, 19, Geblonski Murray, 18, and Leslie Litt, 18, were arrested last Monday following a public manhunt that included a reward being offered from local business leaders.
They were charged with capital murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit a robbery.
Laura Cockrell Thornton, Shine Thornon's daughter-in-law, wrote on Facebook that he would have appreciated the ceremony.
'It's been a tough but beautiful day. Tough because we said our final goodbyes to our beloved Pa Shine but beautiful because it was the type of day he would have loved,' she said.
'It was a beautiful blue sky day. The funeral mass was perfect - from the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard, to the homily, to the beautiful music, to the Navy Honor Guard at the cemetery, to the delicious meal we enjoyed together afterwards with family and friends - he would have loved every minute of it!'
Thornton served as a Fireman First Class aboard the USS Herald, a minesweeper that saw significant service in the Pacific. He remained proud of his service on her her until his death.
The coffee mug he used every morning at his favorite diner was a commemoration of the Herald. He drank from it so much, the inscription was worn entirely off.
At Jim's Cafe, his favorite haunt, they tied a black ribbon to his regular chair and placed his coffee mug on the table as a silent memorial to their reliable customer.
He was known in the Delta region for his award-winning Maria’s Famous Hot Tamales, which he began cooking in 1984, named after his wife, Mary. According to Southern Foodways, Shine entered the hot tamale business with a jerry-rigged recipe he got from a friend, and added his own spin to it.
Thornton earned his nickname Shine in high school when he began picking out the notes to ‘You are My Sunshine’ during the intermission of a performance. Members of the band started calling him Sunshine and eventually shortened it to Shine, according to his obituary.
His sunny disposition was still with him as he grew older. According to the website he would sell his snacks out of the custom built kitchen in his home and sit with customers, often playing the fiddle to entertain his guests.
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