 All indictments stemmed from the murder of 19-year-old Alex Rackley in the early hours of May 21, 1969.The trials became a rallying-point for the American Left, and marked a decline in public support, even among the black community, for the Black Panther Party.On May 19, 1969, members of the Black Panther Party kidnapped fellow Panther Alex Rackley, who had fallen under suspicion of informing for the FBI.