America’s Jim Crow era is full of stories — some told and many untold — of violations of the civil rights and basic humanity of black people.

One such story is that of Hattie DeBardelaben, who was killed in Autaugaville by law enforcement on March 23, 1945. The details of Hattie’s death have always remained a mystery to her grandchildren for nearly 80 years.

Mary DeBardelaben always wondered what happened to her grandmother and why her family never discussed Hattie’s death.

Those answers finally came on October 26, after Mary received federal documents related to her grandmother’s death and the alleged cover-up that followed.

Mary and her brother, Dan, told AL.com how the documents finally gave them closure in Hattie’s death. Mary said that while she was happy to finally know the truth, it was extremely painful to read about what happened to her grandmother.

“I cried for a few days because I couldn’t believe what had happened to my grandmother,” Mary said.

While the documents revealed the truth about Hattie’s death, they also revealed why Mary and Dan’s family members never talked about their grandmother’s death.

Mary and Dan said their father, Hattie’s son Bennie, never mentioned her death, even when he would visit her grave.

Several of Hattie’s children and relatives witnessed her attack and her death at the hands of the officers.

“The case was so big and I never knew how big it was because her seven children who were still alive never said a word about what happened to my grandmother to any of their children Mary said.

“And all her children had children and I checked them all and they all said their parents never talked about what happened to their mother.

“But it was my mother who kept telling us a story. All he could tell us was that, you know, my grandmother was killed by officers who came to see if they were selling liquor.

“A person whose breath was taken away”

According to the testimony of Edward Underwood, Hattie’s youngest son and witness to her death, four officers came to the house on the afternoon of March 23, 1945.

The officers were Clyde White, John Barrenbrugge, JC Moseley and LO Smith. White was an Autauga County deputy, and the other three were liquor enforcement officers.

The men claimed they were looking for illegal whiskey in Autauga County, and Hattie agreed to let them search her home after she denied having whiskey.

As officers tried to search the house, one of them hit Hattie’s nephew after they said he was not obeying orders to sit down.

Hattie stepped in and told the officer to stop. The officer began assaulting her, causing her to fall into a pot of boiling water that she was using to wash clothes.

Another officer punched Hattie several times before placing her in a chair. According to Edward’s statement, he called his two older brothers, Bennie and Johnni, who were working in the fields.

Officers with guns drawn ordered the two boys to the ground.

White began to check the house for whiskey. Edward said that during this time his mother was silent and “panting and mumbling like a person whose breath has been taken away”.

After the search was over, the officers said they were taking Hattie to jail and that Edward, who was 15 at the time, should accompany her. Her 7-year-old grandson took her shoes.

While in the car, Hattie started throwing up. The police ignored her pleas to stop and get water. Edward started using his dress to catch the vomit before he finally stopped.

After it stopped, Hattie continued to throw up. An officer told him to return to his seat. Hattie protested, saying she was sick, but Edward pulled her back into the chair.

Hattie fainted and murmured, “that’s my baby,” referring to Edward.

These were the last words he would speak.

By the time they arrived at the Prattville County Jail, Hattie had died with her “baby” sitting next to her.

Hattie was 46 years old at the time of her death.

“He never said a word”

After reading this, Mary and Dan said they understood why their grandmother’s death was never discussed by her children.

Hattie’s story is like many from the Jim Crow era — never officially or accurately recorded and never spoken out loud because of trauma and fear.

“My father and his brothers and cousins, you know, witnessed what actually happened,” Dan said.

“Seeing that, I’m sure, was so traumatic for my dad and it was one of the reasons he never said a word, he or his six other sisters and brothers, never had a conversation with us about what he took place.

“It was a combination of fear and just the trauma of being traumatized by such an event.”

Mary said fear and the threat of reprisals prompted their father to change his name a month after Hattie’s death and move to Birmingham.

Mary and Dan said one of the most shocking things about the documents was that Edward was in the car and had to watch his mother die while the officers showed indifference to her condition.

An investigation leads nowhere

A statement from the funeral home revealed that Hattie’s head fell back whenever her body was lifted, indicating that her neck was broken in the attack.

Despite the examination, the white doctor said the cause of death was a heart attack.

After her death, Hattie’s husband filed an affidavit with the NAACP, and the organization began contacting the Department of Justice. Assistant US Attorney General Tom Clark sent a letter asking FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to investigate.

The NAACP also contacted then-Alabama Governor Chauncey Sparks, who provided information about the case to the state’s attorney.

A grand jury heard the case in October 1945, but declined to indict, and none of the officers were ever arrested.

White became Autauga County Sheriff.

Mary said the documents clearly reveal a cover-up that protected the officers.

“It’s disturbing that people could be so cruel back then,” Mary said.

“Not only the people who killed her, but those in official legal positions could clearly see that she was killed by these officers, but they preferred to cover it up rather than prosecute their own. “

Mary and Dan said they hope their grandmother’s name will be cleared from any criminal records. Mary also hopes that the individuals involved in Hattie’s death may be charged posthumously.

“You Couldn’t Help Saving Your Mother”

The reason Mary and Dan were finally able to obtain this information is because of the Civil Rights Records Collection Act of 2018.

The act was a bipartisan law signed by President Donald Trump in 2019.

The bill established a review committee, independent of the FBI, made up of private citizens. The board was not hired until 2022, after President Joe Biden offered nominations that were approved by the U.S. Senate.

The review commission is charged with expediting the review and release of civil law case files under government control from 1940 to 1979.

In cooperation with the National Archives and Records Administration, the review board contacted Mary before the documents were released to confirm whether she wished to receive them.

Gabrielle Dudley, a member of the review board, said Hattie’s case was different from others at the time because she was not involved in any civil rights activities but was still a victim of violence by law enforcement.

“She was really living her everyday life and unfortunately she was met with this violence and a violent death that was really typical of interactions with law enforcement during this time in the Jim Crow South,” Dudley said .

Dudley said stories like Hattie’s are also uncommon or not widely known because most stories from the era often focus on men and public figures.

Mary and Dan said they are grateful for the work the review board and NARA have done to release Hattie’s records. They were also grateful to the NAACP and those who advocated for officials to investigate her death.

The siblings also want other families who may have similar cold cases to never give up hope and continue to believe they will get information about their loved one’s stories.

While the siblings are happy to finally find out what happened to their grandmother, they still ponder the strange silence of their relatives.

“They never said a word,” Dan said.

“For me, it reflects how traumatic it was, you know, to be able to sit there and know that you couldn’t help save your mother, the only options were to be shot or killed.”