Columbia police are investigating after vandals damaged an historical marker commemorating the 1923 lynching of James T. Scott.
City officials say the marker on the MKT Trail was removed from its base and recovered nearby. The marker was unveiled by University of Missouri students five years ago to recognize the lynching. Scott was accused of a crime before he was dragged by a mob and hanged. The damage occurred a week after several people gathered in memory of the lynching.
Mayor Brian Treece called the damage “a blow, not just against the memory of this atrocity, but against our community conscience.” The city is working with the university to replace the marker.
