The following day, Chaney, Schwerner, and Goodman traveled to Neshoba County to investigate the church fire. The trio was arrested following a traffic stop outside Philadelphia, Mississippi, for speeding, escorted to the local jail and held for several hours. As they left town in their car after being released, the trio were followed by law enforcement and others. Before leaving Neshoba County their car was pulled over and they were abducted, driven to another location, and shot at close range. Their bodies were then transported to an earthen dam where they were buried. They were only discovered two months later thanks to a tip-off. During the investigation, it emerged that members of the local White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, the Neshoba County Sheriff's Office and the Philadelphia, Mississippi Police Department were involved in the incident. Their arrest, kidnapping, and murder were intended to intimidate the incoming volunteers. Instead, it invigorated the already determined 'outside agitators' and brought international attention to the state.