The funeral service for Connie L. Tindall, one of the seven remaining members of the Wilmington Ten seeking pardons of innocence from Gov. Beverly Perdue, is at noon today (Aug. 10) at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 2711 Princess Place Drive in Wilmington.

Tindall, a Wilmington native, died last Friday. He was 62.

The Wilmington Ten were civil rights activists - nine African-American males and one white female - including Mr. Tindall, who were falsely convicted 40 years ago of conspiracy in connection with racial violence that took place in Wilmington in 1971. Collectively, the group were sentenced to 282 years in prison. In May, the remaining members of the Wilmington 10 petitioned Gov. Beverly Purdue for an official pardon. She has yet to act on the petition.

According to the New Hanover County NAACP, Tindall served five years in prison before his early release, and his conviction was eventually overturned.

"For over 30 years since his release from prison, Mr. Tindall had trouble keeping employment because of his false conviction," the NAACP said in a statement. "He always believed that his innocence would be vindicated one day by virtue of a pardon of innocence, and hoped that he would live to see it."