Women set on fire by KKK, police investigating possible hate crime

[HipChick]

A Winnsboro, LA woman is hospitalized in critical condition after someone set her on fire.

Sharmeka Moffitt, a woman of African descent was attacked and set ablaze while out walking a trail in Winnsboro, Louisiana Sunday evening. Reports on social media said the woman was attacked for wearing an Obama tee shirt but the local sheriff’s office is denying those reports saying that Moffitt was not wearing any political attire. Little information has been released about her attackers by local authorities who are still investigating but it has been alleged that three white males with possible ties to the Klu Klux Klan are involved. Those reports remain unconfirmed at this time.

Sharmeka Moffitt was transported to LSU Hospital located in Shreveport, Louisiana were she remains in critical condition. The Moffitt family has yet to make any public statements about the attack.

http://www.ksla.com/story/19877636/woman-set-on-fire-is-in-critical-condition

[gadgets505]

1. F Troop??? nt

[kiva]

2. You may want to edit the thread -

according to the bolded info in your post the victim was not wearing an Obama T-shirt.

[HopeHoops]

4. "possible"?

[justiceischeap]

17. That's my first thought when I read this story. nt

[HopeHoops]

18. Seriously. Possible? What the fuck else could it be?

[onenote]

22. As it turns out, it could be something else

Apparently it was self-inflicted.

I don't understand why people do this shit. Do they ever get away with it?

[dems_rightnow]

5. Not seeing KKK in that article

Where does that part come from?

[HipChick]

9. It's a breaking story...

Trying to see if there any more updates..

[Tallulah]

6. Update

WINNSBORO, LA. (KNOE 8 NEWS) - Update, Noon Monday, Law enforcement officials held a news conference Monday morning. They tell KNOE 8 News that a 911 call came in around 8:00 p.m. Sunday night from a woman who claims she was attacked and burned. She said three men wearing white hoodies were the attackers.

Police confirm that racial slurs were found spray painted on the victim's vehicle. Winnsboro Police say they plan to tighten security in the park where the alleged attack happened. Franklin Sheriff Kevin Cobb said, "This is a horrific event that will not be taken lightly." Winnsboro Police, Franklin Parish Sheriff, Louisiana State Police, The state fire Marshall's office and the FBI are investigating.

Previous Report:

KNOE 8 News has received confirmation from the Winnsboro Police that they are working with the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office investigating a woman allegedly attacked and burned on Sunday night.

The woman's name is Sharmeka Moffitt. A friend of the Moffitt family confirmed to us that she is in stable condition at the LSU-Shreveport hospital but 90% of her body has been burned.

Friends of the family also tell us they believe this is a hate crime.

http://www.knoe.com/story/19880137/winnsboro-authorities-investigating-alleges-burn-victim

[dems_rightnow]

7. Wow. this is unbelievable.

How much hate do you have to have to treat another human like this?

[Tallulah]

8. More

WINNSBORO - Police say the letters “KKK” were written on the hood of the vehicle belonging to a Franklin Parish resident who was allegedly attacked and burned by three men Sunday night, but they are not calling it a hate crime at this time.

During a Monday morning news conference, Franklin Sheriff Kevin Cobb and Winnsboro Police Chief Lester Thomas released details of the incident that took place in Civitan Park in Winnsboro.

Authorities say Sharmeka Moffitt, 20, called 911 from Civitan Park about 8 p.m. Sunday after she was allegedly attacked and burned by three men wearing white hoodies while she was on the walking trail in the southern end of the park.

Police say Moffitt could not confirm the race of the attackers. The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the Louisiana State Police, the state fire marshal’s office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Winnsboro Police and Franklin Parish Sheriff’s department. There have been no arrests made and no suspects have been identified.

Moffitt was taken to LSU Medical Center Shreveport where police say she remains in critical condition.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20121022/NEWS01/121022014/12-25-P-M-UPDATE-Police-say-KKK-written-Winnsboro-burn-victim-s-vehicle

[Tallulah]

10. Update

UPDATED: Authorities confirm "KKK" written on burn victim's vehicle

There is a picture of the girl here

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/

[DollarBillHines]

23. I went to the link and it reads Police say Winnsboro attack fabricated

Why do people feel compelled to do this sort of thing?

[mzmolly]

11. Horrible beyond words.

[freshwest]

12. Good grief, even if she survives... So young... And I hate to say it...

Will Louisiana still go for Romney?

Good Democrats live there, but some I know left the party because Obama was nominated. They became rabid religionists, full of hatred for blacks and Muslims, etc.

Definitely a hate crime. The crimes against those considered the 'other' or liberals, has been building for years now with demagogues on hate radio being carried out in real life.

[slackmaster]

13. I wonder what their first clue that it might be a hate crime was

[npk]

14. That is a very tough part of Louisiana to live in.

Been through those parts a few times in my life, (I am white, Caucasian) and I was always leery of being out at night.

It's very disgusting that this kind of hatred still exists.

[Tallulah]

15. Family Speaks

Family of woman attacked and burned at park holds press conference in Shreveport

SHREVEPORT -
The family of the young woman who was set afire in Winnsboro, Louisiana over the weekend is speaking out.

KTBS 3 News crews are meeting with a relative of Sharmeka Moffitt, 20, at LSU Health Sciences Center, Monday afternoon.

Moffitt was attacked and burned in a park Sunday night and authorities are investigating whether race was a factor in the assault.

The Moffitt's mother, Edna Moffitt, tells KTBS 3 News that she was told that three white males wearing hoodies jumped out of their vehicle and burned her.

While the crime scene remains blocked off, the mother also claims that the men wrote derogatory words and "KKK" on her vehicle.

Moffitt was initially taken to a hospital in Winnsboro but was later transferred to the LSUHSC.

She is currently in critical condition.

Louisiana State Police, the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office, and Winnsboro Police Department are investigating the incident. Stay with KTBS 3 News and ktbs.com for more details on this developing story.

http://www.ktbs.com/news/Family-of-woman-attacked-and-burned-at-park-holds-press-conference-in-Shreveport/-/144844/17085982/-/rgbtc/-/index.html

[Tallulah]

16. Update

WINNSBORO - Twenty-year-old Sharmeka Moffitt is clinging to life this afternoon at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport after being attacked and set afire Sunday night here in Civitan Park by three men who wrote “KKK,” possibly with toothpaste, on her car.

Moffitt, who called 911 herself from the park, couldn’t identify the race of her attackers, but said they were all wearing white T-shirt hoodies.

Police believe Moffitt, who apparently works at ConAgra’s Lamb Weston sweet potato processing plant in Delhi and is interested in substitute teaching in Franklin Parish, was doused in a flammable liquid and set afire.

Trooper Albert Paxton said Moffitt, who is in critical condition, suffered extensive burns below her neck on her chest and back all the way down to her calves.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20121022/NEWS01/310220001/UPDATE-3-50-P-M-Winnsboro-burn-victim-clings-life-Shreveport

[surrealAmerican]

19. That poor woman.

That sounds horrible. I hope they catch the people who did this.

[DollarBillHines]

24. Police say Winnsboro attack fabricated

Police announced Tuesday they believe Sharmeka Moffitt fabricated a story about being attacked and burned Sunday night at Civitan Park in Winnsboro by three men who wrote “KKK” on the hood of her car, and instead set herself afire.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/