Murder in McComb: The Tina Andrews Case

by Trent Brown

What remained of the badly decomposed body of twelve­-year­-old Tina Marie Andrews was discovered underneath a discarded sofa in the woods outside of McComb, Mississippi, on August 23, 1969. Ten days earlier, Andrews and a friend had accepted a ride home after leaving the Tiger’s Den, a local teenage hangout, but they were driven instead to the remote area where Andrews was eventually murdered. Although eyewitness testimony pointed to two local police officers, no one was ever convicted of this brutal crime, and to this day the case remains officially unsolved. Contemporary local newspaper coverage notwithstanding, the story of Andrews’s murder has not been told. Indeed, many people in the McComb community still, more than fifty years later, hesitate to speak of the tragedy. Trent Brown’s Murder in McComb is the first comprehensive examination of this case, the lengthy investigation into it, and the two extended trials that followed. Brown also explores the public shaming of the state’s main witness, a fifteen-year-old unwed mother, and the subsequent desecration of Andrews’s grave. Set against the uneasy backdrop of the civil rights movement, Brown’s study deftly reconstructs various accounts of the murder, explains why the juries reached the verdicts they did, and explores the broader forces that shaped the community in which Andrews lived and died. Unlike so many other accounts of violence in the Jim Crow South, racial animus was not the driving force behind Andrews’s murder; in fact, most of the individuals central to the case, from the sheriff to the judges to the victim, were white. Yet Andrews, as well as her friend Billie Jo Lambert, the state’s key witness, were “girls of ill repute,” as one defense attorney put it. To many people in McComb, Tina and Billie Jo were “trashy” children whose circumstances reflected their families’ low socioeconomic standing. In the end, Brown suggests that Tina Andrews had the great misfortune to be murdered in a town where the locals were overly eager to support law, order, and stability—instead of true justice—amid the tense and uncertain times during and after the civil rights movement.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Mystery

409 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2020

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

My name is Elizabeth. I have lived in Mccomb, Mississippi my entire 52 yrs of life. I grew up along with 2 older brothers and 1 younger brother on Bendat Street, until we moved 2 miles out of town around 1977. My Grandparents, Richard and Alice Rowley, lived next door to us and my Great Grandparents,Troy and Jimmie Crawford, lived next door to them. All 3 living in a row right there on Bendat Street. I have started rereading the Tina Andrew's Murder Case because I didn't finish it the first time around. I was curious about not only her story but also because my Grandfather, Richard Rowley was Chief of Police in Mccomb during this time. A friend told me he was in the book and I wanted to see what Mr. Trent Brown had to say about him. My Grandfather was a McComb Patrolman for years but was elected to Chief of Police in 1965 up until his retirement in 1975. From what I have read, I was wondering where Mr. Trent Brown received his information on my Grandfather. He did not talk to anyone in our family nor call to arrange a meeting with my Uncle, his son, to try and get prospective from his point of view. Mr. Brown made accusations that my Grandfather was using his Police Officers in the court room during the trial to intimate the Black jurors.
I know in my heart that is so FLIPPIN untrue. It was a time of desegregation, a young 12 year old, innocent child was killed and left like trash, 2 police officers were accused of the murder and I'm sure everyone in town was on edge. I feel that he, my Grandfather, had the officers there incase something did happen. As a protection of the people regardless of race, color or creed. He toted a copy of the Constitution in his shirt pocket at all times. He had his secretary, at the Police Station, go either outside or in his office and close the door, if they were bringing in an irrational person who was cursing and acting up because he felt it was inappropriate for her to have to hear such things. Mr. Brown speculated what my Grandfather's thought process was/is at this time in his life. Does he sound like a man who would use intimidating tactics on jurors?
He was 6 feet 2 inches tall in sock feet, strong built frame and wasn't afraid to do what was right for anyone. Honesty was his policy. Think before you act. His quote was, "Don't Do It Son!" Chief Rowley..it was on MANY posters all over town and crime was low..I don't think he needed to intimate anyone.
I also read in footnotes where some, probably A LOT, of the information came from for this book and I personally know this person. Only out to make a name for themselves and they weren't even born in Mccomb, Mississippi they moved here later in life but knows all about our little ole town.
Do I believe that SOMEONE KNOWS who killed little Tina Andrews, HELL YES I DO! Are they still alive, probably not but it's possible someone knows who did it and they ARE still alive. Do I believe we did had/have CORRUPT Police Officers, HELL YES.
Do I believe Police Officers, Business Owners, Preachers, Band Directors, Dr.'s, Lawyers, City Councilmen, etc. in Pike County were members of the Klan during this time, in Pike County, HELL YES I DO! Hell, we had the
"McColgan Hotel", for all our Church going Men, Out of Towners and whomever else wanted to be entertained could frequent..

Tina Andrews got LOST in this book and especially during the trial. I just don't understand why it hasn't been solved yet with the technology we have now. Would it make a difference? Probably Not, I feel it would let Tina Andrews know that she wasn't trash to be discard so easily, she hasn't been forgotten and she then could REST IN COMPLETE PEACE..

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today’s Nonfiction book review is on Murder in McComb: The Tina Andrews Case by Trent Brown. It is 305 pages long and is published by LSU press. The cover is a green sepia picture of where Tina Andrews was found with her fourth grade school picture in it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime, race and societal politics in the Deep South, and in-depth investigative journalism. There is mild foul language, no sex, and description of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.


From the dust jacket- What remained of the badly decomposed body of 12 year old Tina Marie Andrews was discovered underneath a discarded sofa in the woods outside of McComb, Mississippi, on August 23rd, 1969. Ten days earlier, Andrews and a friend had accepted a ride home after leaving the Tiger’s Den, a local teenage hangout, but they were driven instead to the remote area where Andrews’ was eventually murdered. Although eyewitness testimony pointed to local police officers, no one was ever convicted of this brutal crime, and to this day the case remains officially unsolved. Contemporary local newspaper coverage notwithstanding, the story of Andrews murder has not been told. Indeed, many people in the Macomb Community, more than 50 years later, hesitate to speak of the tragedy.

Trent Brown’s Murder in McComb is the first comprehensive examination of this case, the extended trials that followed. Brown also explores the public shaming of the state's main witness, a fifteen-year-old unwed mother, and the subsequent desecration of Andrews' grave. Set against the uneasy backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, Brown’s study deftly reconstructs various accounts with the murder, explains why the jury's reached the verdict that they did, and explores the broader forces that shape the community Andrews live and died.


Review- This is an in-depth journalistic investigation into not only the officially unsolved murder of Tina Andrews, but also the society that she was born into that made her murder unsolved. Tina Andrews was 12 years old when she was out late and accepted a ride with her friend, by two men one of whom was believed to be a police officer. Instead of taking the two girls home the two men took them to the oilfield a bare patch in the woods, in order to have sex with them. Which the two girls were not interested in and tried to get away, the only witness surviving was Tina's friend and the two men who killed her. Brown is coming some fifty years after the murder and the trials to try and reconstruct what exactly happened that night in August 1969. Of course local gossips thinks that the two men, one of whom was tried twice and found innocent once, were the ones who did it. But because Tina Andrews came from a very poor family, her friend identified them was also seen is not a very good person, and the accused men were both out upstanding police officers, they got away with murder; at least everyone in the city of McComb thinks that. Brown doesn't try to say who did what but instead tries to reconstruct what happened. What made the community turn against two young girls in such a way. This was at times a difficult book to read, not because of the writing style but because we're talking about two children, one of them was murdered and the other was slandered in her community because she didn't live up to some standards. If you're looking for a true crime book that examines more than just the crime scene but the community that enabled crime and the murderer to get away with it I highly recommend this book.


I get this book a Four out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrow this book from my local library.

[Trey Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was almost did not finish for me. I gave it 3 stars because the author did at least write a semi interesting story. The claims/argument are weak at best, offensive at worst. Two things about the book that were awful were: 1. The loose attempts to tie it back to racism, which do NOT work. The victim is white, juries have African Americans, and there were no events of intimidation of African Americans featured. In fact the author even highlights the opposite happening. 2. The “what-if” arguments and claims in the book are LAUGHABLE.

What if the defendants were African American? (they weren’t) There is plenty of stories to tell about that, and could have been written about instead of this. What if the victim wasn’t considered “poor white trash”? That would have been an EXCELLENT argument, that was barely visited and would have made a much more interesting book. And finally mutliple what-if/why didn’t the prosecutor do this statements? The evidence against the defendant, or at least what was listed in the book appeared circumstantial and if there was different/new evidence, it would have been nice to hear about it, but the author admits there is very little.

The author tried to argue about race in McComb and it failed, when there was a more obvious argument about societal perceptions and the girls being labeled “poor white trash” which could have made a much better argument.

[Bonnie Hudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally started this read in July 20 20 I have the book in digital format which is probably why I got distracted. I currently live in McComb. I am a true crime, cold case, and forensics junkie. Unfortunately law-enforcement back in the day did not have the availability of forensics that we have now. Could this case have been solved? Probably. Do I think the killer is still alive? Maybe maybe not. Do I think there was a cover-up? Maybe maybe not. The book did give me an insight into the depth & severity of racial issues back in the day, I was not born in the US & I was not raised with the prejudices & racial issues that the South is embroiled in even today. I wish her murder had been solved & the perpetrators had been punished, it is unjust that a 12 year old girl & her family never got closure. I doubt that will ever happen unfortunately. I can’t say that it was an enjoyable read but it was interesting & informative.

[zamnu · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been 100 pages rather than 269. While it is very diligently research which I have respect for, the repetition of points was unnecessary for a book that brought no real new light to the murder trial. The assertions being made were straight forward enough to not need dozens of different rephrasings throughout the book. It was like being beaten over the head.

[Rebecca Rives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trent Brown’s Murder in McComb is the story of a 12 year old girl, Tina Andrews, who, along with a friend, were abducted by two men in 1969. One was murdered; the other got away. Although a body was soon found, the girl who got away, Billie Joe Lambert, fearing for her life and believing that she would not be believed, did not report what she knew for the better part of two years. A hung jury and an acquittal for one of the two police officers charged with the crime confirmed her fear.

This book is not a straight up crime narrative and it may not meet the expectations of readers interested solely in the details of the murder. This book offers so much more than the bare details. It delves into the social class distinctions, economic and racial constructs, and power bases of a small rural southern town that created the aftermath following the murder. It is a historical telling that allows you to understand how and why a 12 year old victim could be blamed for her own murder and her friend’s testimony could be doubted because she was a “girl of ill repute” according to the defense attorneys. If you love history and sociology, you will love this book.

[Grammarbroad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but I have an undergraduate degree in history and it’s about my hometown. But it’s a HISTORY book, not a crime novel. I just happened to be the perfect audience. Well written and extensively researched. Never read a book with more people in it that I actually knew! Heavy-handed on the social class stuff, though. Economic and social differences exist, of course, but everything paled in comparison to racial differences. The murder wasn’t unsolved because of class snobbery. Conviction was blocked by corruption.

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