Man Held for Distributing $10,000 ‘Dead-or-Alive’ Posters for 7 Rivals

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A black political rival of seven black school desegregation advocates was arrested Tuesday for distributing “wanted” posters offering $10,000 for their deaths, authorities said.

Ralph Leon Stephens, 47, was arrested for investigation of printing and posting the placards, Sheriff Jim McMillan said.

“It appears to be a struggle in the black community,” the sheriff told reporters.

The posters declared that the seven black leaders were “wanted dead or alive for self-serving crimes, murdering our kids future! Shoot on sight. $10,000 price guarantee.”

Stephens is a member of a small political action committee that is opposed to school desegregation plans, authorities said. A committee of local black leaders and school officials is meeting to produce a desegregation plan to satisfy a federal court order.

“This is an isolated incident of a person or a group of people who wanted to control power in the community at any expense,” Mayor Tommy Hazouri said.

Stephens was being held in the Duval County Jail until he could be arraigned. State Atty. Ed Austin said a decision will be made within 10 days on what formal charges to lodge against him.

School security officials, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the FBI began investigating the posters when they appeared on May 26.

Police began hourly patrols around the homes of those named on the posters.