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CNN Sunday Morning

Prosecution Rests in Klansman Bombing Trial

Aired April 29, 2001 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Birmingham, Alabama, prosecutors have rested their case in the church bombing trial of former Klu Klux Klansman, Thomas Blanton Jr. Four African-American girls were killed in 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.

As Rick Journey of CNN affiliate WBRC in Birmingham tells us, the jury heard tapes secretly recorded more than 35 years ago by an FBI informant.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK JOURNEY, WBRC REPORTER (voice-over): Burns says autopsy photographs of the four girls killed in the 1963 bombing drove him to cooperate with FBI investigators. As a young man, a Klansman, Burns says he befriended Tom Blanton and, for $200 a month, allowed the FBI to place a tape recorder in the spare tire of his car.

Burns described for jurors how he and Blanton would drive around in his 1956 Chevrolet and, with the help of headphones and transcripts, jurors listened as excerpts from 15 tapes were played.

At one point, Tom Blanton seems to say, quote "They ain't going to catch me when I bomb my next church." Burns, laughing, "When you bomb your next church. How did you do it anyway?" Blanton, "It wasn't easy, boy. I tell you."

On another tape, Burns asks, "How many sticks do you think it took?" Blanton appears to respond, "It didn't take a lot" and then later, "That's the way they done it in the movies. I figure they do it the same way."

And on another tape, Blanton asked, "Place look familiar?" Burns response, "That's the place you blew up." Blanton response, "No, it's not. It's the place you got."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you happy with your testimony today Mr. Burns?

JOURNEY: Blanton's defense team asked that Burns be available in case he's recalled to the witness stand.

JOHN ROBBINS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The tapes are what they are. I mean, it's just two drunks driving around Birmingham, and driving around Birmingham running their mouth. DOUG JONES, PROSECUTOR: Drunk talk doesn't necessarily mean just jokes. Sometimes when people drink a little bit they tend to loosen up. They tend to say a few things that they might not normally say to somebody.

JOURNEY (on camera): First thing Monday morning, the defense plans to ask the judge to throw this case out, saying the prosecution has not proven its case against Tom Blanton. If that doesn't hold up, however, they expect to call at least two witnesses on Monday. No word yet on if Tom Blanton will take the stand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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