Former Klansman convicted in '64 slayings sues FBI

By HOLBROOK MOHR Associated Press Writer

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A former Ku Klux Klansman convicted in the 1964 slayings of three civil rights workers is suing the FBI and Mississippi's attorney general.

Edgar Ray Killen claims they conspired to suppress his rights to "defend his society and culture." The former saw mill operator and one-time Baptist preacher is currently serving a 60-year sentence.

He was convicted in 2005 of manslaughter in the deaths of Michael Schwerner, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman.

The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks millions in damages and a declaration that Killen's rights were violated when the FBI allegedly used a mafia gangster during its investigation.

An FBI spokeswoman had no immediate comment.