Police Chief: Missing Student Ignored Due to Race

JACKSON, Miss. — The newly named chief of Mississippi’s largest police force says race is among the reasons the case of a missing Jackson State University student hasn’t received national media attention. Latasha Norman, who is black, was last seen Nov. 13 in one of her classes. Her car was left on the campus, but she never returned to her dormitory room when the afternoon class ended. “As far as the interest by the national media in the story, I think race probably had an impact,” said Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin, who is white. “It’s a small college in the South. It’s the daughter of simple people who maybe are not important outside of their circle, and maybe we don’t attach the same importance to them that we do for other people.” McMillin said the nation’s eyes have been on a Chicago case in which a former police officer, Drew Peterson, is suspected in the disappearance more than three weeks ago of his wife, Stacy. The couple is white. Since Stacy Peterson disappeared, authorities have said they believe the death of the former officer’s third wife three years ago was a homicide staged as a drowning accident.

Source: Fox