Does Red Garlock deserve to die?

Despite the fact that Red Garlock harassed and posed a threat to Iris, he does not deserve to die. In fact, his death is accidental. After the physical altercation broke out between him and Jinx, he hits Jinx’s back with a mound of concrete. In desperate self-defense, Jinx reacts by grabbing a piece of rock and fatally knocks Garlock’s head. Jinx and Iris then conceal the murder by dumping Garlock’s body in the river, keeping their secret forever and knowing too well that Jinx stood no chance of a fair trial based on the racial circumstances at the time.
The fact that both Iris and Jinx are haunted by guilt for the rest of their lives is further proof that Garlock did not deserve to die. Jinx’s guilt is so intense that, besides suffering from nightmares, he subconsciously sabotages his promising basketball career by getting a permanent injury. He later joins the army and is deployed to Vietnam where he meets his demise.