Carolyn Bryant Donham, born in 1934 in Indianola, Mississippi, is a name that will always be associated with one of the most horrific incidents in American history – the murder of Emmett Till in 1955.
Carolyn was the white woman who falsely accused Till, a 14-year-old Black boy, of making an unwelcome advance towards her, leading to his abduction, torture, and brutal murder by her ex-husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam. This article delves into Carolyn Bryant’s life, her family, career, net worth, and the infamous murder that changed her life forever.
Death News and Cause
Carolyn Bryant Donham passed away at the age of 88. She was known as the white woman who accused 14-year-old kid Emmett Till behave improperly with her, which led to his brutal murder in Mississippi in 1955. The Calcasieu Parish coroner’s office in Louisiana confirmed her death on Thursday, April 27, 2023. She was reported to have had cancer, according to Mississippi Today.
Carolyn Bryant Early Life and Family

Carolyn Bryant was born Carolyn Gail Wilson in Indianola, Mississippi. Her father was a plantation manager, whereas her mother used to work as a nurse. Not much is known about her childhood or family life, but it is known that she had two sons with her first husband, Roy Bryant, Jr., whom she divorced after the Emmett Till murder. Her second husband was a man named Gene Donham, whom she married in 1959.
Career Info
It is unclear what Carolyn Bryant did for a living before or after the Emmett Till murder. Some sources suggest that she and Roy Bryant owned a small store in Money, Mississippi, where they lived at the time of Till’s abduction. However, there is no information about her professional career after the murder.
Carolyn Bryant The Murder of Emmett Till
The murder of Emmett Till is one of the most brutal and shameful incidents in American history. On August 24, 1955, Carolyn Bryant worked as a cashier at Bryant’s Grocery & Meat Market in Money, Mississippi, which she co-owned with her husband Roy Bryant. That day, Till and his cousin went to the store to buy some candy.

It is alleged that Till whistled at Carolyn, or made some other kind of flirtatious gesture towards her, before leaving the store. After a few days, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam abducted Till from his uncle’s house, tortured him, and shot him to death. Carolyn’s testimony, which accused Till of making sexual advances toward her, was used as evidence against him during the trial, even though she later recanted her testimony in a 2017 memoir.
Wiki
Carolyn Bryant Donham was born in 1934 in Indianola, Mississippi, USA. She was born into an Irish family and is a Christian from a religious point of view. Her mother, Marilyn Galsworthy, was a nurse while her father worked as a plantation manager. However, his identity is not publicly known.
Category | Information |
---|---|
Full Name | Carolyn Bryant Donham |
Birthdate | Affirmed in 1934 |
Birthplace | Indianola, Mississippi, USA |
Father | Plantation manager (identity not disclosed) |
Mother | Nurse named Marilyn Galsworthy (identity confirmed) |
Education | High school dropout |
Occupation | Former store clerk |
Beauty Contests | Won two |
Memoir | Authored “More Than a Wolf Whistle: The Memoir of Carolyn Bryant Donham” |
Height | Around 5 feet 7 inches |
Weight | Around 55 kg or 121 lbs |
Eye Color | Blue |
Hair Color | Greyish-white |
Shoe Size | 7 |
Homepage | Click Here |
Carolyn Bryant’s Husband and Family

Carolyn Bryant Donham was married multiple times, but she is best known for her marriage to Roy Bryant, with whom she had two sons, Lamar Bryant, and Roy Bryant Jr. Her ex-husband Roy Bryant, along with J. W. Milam (Roy’s half-brother), kidnapped, tortured, and murdered Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy, in 1955. Till was accused of making an unwelcome advance at Carolyn. In 2022, a grand jury in Mississippi declined to indict Carolyn Bryant for her role in Till’s death.
Net Worth
There is no reliable information available on Carolyn Bryant Donham’s net worth. However, some sources estimated her net worth to be between $1 million to $5 million while others estimated it to be $1.7 million.
Carolyn Bryant Bio
Carolyn Bryant Donham was a store owner in Indianola, Mississippi. However, she gained infamy for her role in the murder of Emmett Till. Till was visiting family in Mississippi from his home in Chicago when he allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant at the Bryant’s Grocery and Meat Market. Bryant’s husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother J.W. Milam kidnapped Till from his relative’s home and brutally murdered him, then dumped his body in a nearby river.
Bryant testified that Till had made inappropriate advances towards her during the trial but later admitted to lying. Till’s death became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement and is widely regarded as one of the most heinous hate crimes in American history.

In 2017, Timothy Tyson, an author who had interviewed Carolyn Bryant in 2008, revealed that she had recanted her testimony about Till’s alleged advances toward her. In her interview with Tyson, she claimed that Till did not physically assault her and that she could not remember much of what happened that day.
Nationality
She was an American citizen.
Carolyn Bryant Age
As of the current year 2023, Carolyn Bryant is 89 years old.
Carolyn Bryant Net Worth
There is no concrete information available on Bryant’s net worth. However, according to some sources, her net worth in 2023 is estimated to be between $1 million to $5 million.
Conclusion
Carolyn Donham’s role in the murder of Emmett Till will always be a stain on American history. Her false accusation against Till, which led to his brutal murder, reminds us of the deep-seated racism and prejudice still existing in American society. While there is not much information available about her life after the murder, the tragedy of Till’s death will always be associated with her name.
FAQs
Who is Carolyn Bryant?
She, also known as Carolyn Donham, is a white woman from Indianola, Mississippi, who was involved in the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955. She was the woman who accused Till of sexually harassing her, which led to his kidnapping, torture, and lynching by her then-husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam. Carolyn Donham was born in 1934.
What is Carolyn Bryant’s net worth?
There is no information available on Carolyn Bryant’s net worth. She is not a public figure and has kept a low profile after the murder of Emmett Till. She did not speak publicly about the case for over six decades until the publication of Timothy Tyson’s book, “The Blood of Emmett Till,” in 2017.
What is Carolyn Bryant’s nationality?
She was an American citizen. She was born and raised in Indianola, Mississippi, and her involvement in the Emmett Till case made her a controversial figure in American history.
What is Carolyn Bryant’s husband’s name?
Bryant’s first husband was Roy Bryant, one of the two men responsible for the murder of Emmett Till in 1955. Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam were acquitted of the crime by an all-white jury. Carolyn later divorced Roy and remarried a man named William Donham. She took the name Carolyn Donham after her second marriage.
What is Carolyn Bryant’s age?
She was born in 1934, which would make her 89 years old as of 2023.
What is Carolyn Bryant’s family background?
There is no information available on Bryant’s family background, other than the fact that she was born and raised in Indianola, Mississippi.
Q: Is Carolyn Bryant a model?
A: There is no evidence to suggest that Carolyn Bryant is a model. The name “Gracie Hunt” appears to be associated with a different person and is unrelated to Carolyn.
Q: Is Carolyn Bryant related to Elizabeth Holmes’ husband, Billy Evans?
A: There is no evidence to suggest that Carolyn is related to Billy Evans, who is Elizabeth Holmes’ husband. Billy Evans is a businessman, manager, and entrepreneur from San Diego, California