Murder is murder no matter what year it happened.

That’s a fact we easily realize in 2009.

But in the 1960s in the South, the facts weren’t quite so clear to some people.

And when Wharlest Jackson was murdered because of the color of his skin, justice never came.

But a renewed emphasis in making things right has led local, state and federal officials to poke at the case once again over the last few years.

Most likely the murderer or murderers responsible for Jackson’s death are now dead themselves. Past investigations have led to that conclusion.

But federal authorities don’t believe that opinion is certain, and they don’t want to give up yet.

Jackson’s case was one of 43 the state FBI office began looking at in February. And Wednesday, an FBI agent was in town working the case.

But the FBI is quick to say they won’t likely turn up new evidence in any of these cases unless someone with information talks.

People in this community worked with Jackson. Someone somewhere knows someone who likely knows something about Jackson’s death.

It’s time for those people to step forward and offer whatever tidbits they may know. Every detail counts and merely passing along a name of someone who may know something is needed.

Jackson’s death was murder then, and it’s murder now.

Withholding knowledge only contributes to the crime.