KKK leader Frank Ancona, who enjoyed a surge of media attention after pledging to bring the Ku Klux Klan to Ferguson, Missouri, was shot dead Thursday. Now, police have charged his stepson and wife with murder, reports the St. Louis Dispatch.
According to the St. Francois County Sheriff's office, 24-year-old Paul Edward Jinkerson Jr shot his stepfather on Thursday while he slept. He and Ancona's wife then allegedly put his body in a car and disposed of it in the woods.
In a statement posted to Facebook Monday, his son Frank Ancona gave his take on what happened when he discovered his father was missing.
"I worked my ass of since I came home from work on Thursday when they told me my father hasn't been heard from since later Wednesday night. I went to my dads house with the police, I questioned Malissa and PJ, I pushed and pushed for everything and anything that would find my father." He thanked the Sheriff's department for their work, and also claimed that his father's involvement in the KKK was preventing him from raising money, presumably for his father's funeral.
"The GO FUND ME PAGE I made has been shut down by them for my dad being in an organization," he wrote.
Police haven't publicly presented a motive.
A lawyer who represented Jinkerson on minor drug charges questioned the story. “I don't believe it for a second that he did it,” the lawyer told the paper.
The website of the KKK branch Ancona claimed to lead asks visitors to join the group to fight for the future of whites.
"Our children, our race, and our Nation have no future unless we unite and organize White Christian Patriots. Join The Ku Klux Klan."
But the website shows the group is committed to more than just white supremacy—it also exploits concerns about protests against police brutality.
"It's time for us as Citizens to show our law enforcement officers that we appreciate the job they do and also be vigilant. We should be prepared to come to their defense in the event we witness any attacks against them going on."