Neither Till nor Jones understood the magnitude of Till's act so they did not tell Mose Wright what had happened. They continued to think nothing of the event as three days passed without incident. However, on the fourth day, early Sunday morning, Roy Bryant, Carolyn's husband, and J.W. Milam, Roy's half-brother, knocked on the door of Wright's home. With a pistol and flashlight in hand, they asked Mose Wright whether three boys from Chicago were staying with him. Wright led them to the room where Till was sleeping, and the men told Till to get dressed. Wright unsuccessfully pleaded with them to just whip Till. As they were leaving, they threatened Wright that if he told anyone they would kill him.

Several hours later, Mamie Till was notified of her son's kidnapping. A search of the area was conducted, and Mamie Till notified Chicago newspapers of her son's disappearance. Wright told Money's sheriff who had taken Till, and he arrested Bryant and Milam for kidnapping.