I've never heard of this so did a little digging. I'm not sure this fits the bill of state sanctioned since the "owners" were pretty much immediately prosecuted via joint efforts of the local sheriff and the FBI then convicted of violating federal law.

While looking through this, I learned of peonage where Mae Louise Miller ~~was released~~ escaped from slavery in 1961. I don't see any legal repercussions for her "owners".

I wouldn't say state sanctioned in her case either. Maybe state turning a blind eye.

Nonetheless, whether or not state sanctioned applies in either situation, it doesn't diminish the horrible reality that people were being kept as chattel well into the twentieth century.

Thanks for informing me of this. I really had no idea it existed.