2 familiar with case: Hate crime charge in rundown

2 familiar with case: Hate crime charge in rundown

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Three white men, including a teenager who pleaded guilty to murder and hate crime charges in Mississippi state court for running over a black man with his truck, have been charged with federal hate crimes.

Two people with direct knowledge of the case told The Associated Press today that John Aaron Rice, Dylan Butler and Deryl Dedmon were charged in documents sealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the charges had not been unsealed.

The U.S. Justice Department has called a news conference for later this afternoon. A statement says it will focus on a hate crime case.

The 19-year-old Dedmon received two life sentences on state charges Wednesday for the June 2011 death of 47-year-old James Craig Anderson.