MOUNT DORA, Fla. – In Mount Dora, the admiration for late journalist Mabel Norris Reese still runs deep. People here describe her as a trailblazer and a fighter—someone who didn’t back down, even when doing the right thing came with a steep price.
That legacy was front and center Thursday as a new push to get Reese inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame was announced.
The effort is being led by the Mary Ellen Robertson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
“An area we really focus on is American history, education and certainly as a women’s organization, the contributions of women to our communities and to our country,” said Candy Davis, the chapter’s regent.
Reese is best known for her relentless reporting on the Groveland Four case more than 70 years ago—four Black teen boys falsely accused of raping a white girl in Lake County.
Supporters say Reese dug into what was happening behind the scenes at a time when challenging the system could be dangerous—especially in the segregated South.
Former Lake County Sheriff Willis McCall publicly pushed the accusations, but Reese’s reporting and advocacy helped bring attention to what supporters say was a pattern of abuse and injustice.
One of the accused, Ernest Thomas, was hunted down by 1.000 men and later shot at least 400 times, according to accounts shared during Thursday’s event.
And the violence didn’t stop there.
Gary McKechnie, founder of the Mabel Norris Reese effort, told the crowd the case involved brutal treatment and forced confessions.
“Sheriff McCall had a torture chamber… (he) stripped them, tied them up and strung them up by a pipe and beat the hell out of ’em,” McKechnie said, describing what he said happened to Samuel Shepherd, Walter Irvin and Charles Greenlee.
McKechnie said the men were beaten until they confessed to a crime they did not commit. Their convictions were later overturned.
He also described what happened during the police transport following that conviction.
McCall “drives them back near Umatilla, pulls off on the road, takes Walter and Sammy out of the backseat — they’re still handcuffed — and shoots them both,” McKechnie said.
Shepherd died. Irvin survived—after reportedly playing dead.
“He plays dead until the press show up… they notice he’s moving and they tell the sheriff he’s not dead,” McKechnie said.
Supporters say Reese this is when Reese learned the story the sheriff told her was inaccurate and thus began her quest for the real truth...putting pressure on a system that, for decades, failed the wrongfully accused.
Reese’s family and supporters say her commitment to the truth made her a target.
In Mount Dora, News 6 was told thru her actions Reese became the target of the KKK. Her property was damaged, her dog was killed, and she was forced to leave her home and business behind.
Still, she kept going.
Her granddaughter, Cindy Chesley Erickson, told the crowd she didn’t fully understand her grandmother’s impact when she was growing up.
“Growing up, I had no idea what a badass my grandmother was,” Erickson said.
She also said that strength became part of their family’s legacy.
“Part of our family legacy demand is that we raise strong women that stand up for good and for right,” Erickson said.
Others at the event said Reese’s courage should be a reminder—and a challenge.
“She did whatever she could and brought more attention to what was going on here,” said Fred LeBarron, an organizer.
“It is our responsibility to stand up for those who cannot fight back,” said Brian Moyer, a retired Marine and former deputy.
A group known as the “Committee of Three” has been working since 2019 to get Reese recognized by the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame.
“These are supposed to be women who’ve made contributions to their communities, to our state, and most often beyond—to make life better,” said Jill Greenberg, a committee member. “So we said, Mabel has to be in that.”
Organizers say Thursday’s announcement is meant to build momentum—and support statewide recognition for a woman they believe changed Florida history with her reporting.
At the conclusion of the presentation, the DAR chapter inducted Reese into its “Women in American History” database—another step supporters hope helps strengthen the case for statewide honors.