Groveland Four memorial unveiled in Lake County
TAVARES, Fla. โ The Groveland Four memorial was unveiled Friday in Lake County. Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Ernest Thomas and Samuel Shepherd were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in Lake County in 1949. The Lake County men were accused under dubious circumstances. Ron DeSantis pardoned the men, and the Lake County Board of County Commissioners began planning the idea for a memorial. The granite memorial, posted in front of the Lake County Historical Museum, features a bronze plaque with a written account of the menโs ordeal.
Remembering Mabel Norris Reese: The journalist who went up against Lake Countyโs former sheriff
It was a case that made headlines and one that highlighted reporter Mabel Norris Reese. She was the owner, editor, reporter for the Mount Dora Topic newspaper in the 1940s up until around 1960,โ said Gary McKechnie, founder of the Mabel Norris Reese Fund in Mount Dora. McKechnie, in collaboration with artist Jim McNalis, recently unveiled a clay sculpture to honor the life of the journalist. โShe was taking her leads from the sheriff, sheriff Willis McCall and sheโs believing everything heโs telling her,โ McKechnie said. For donations and to learn more about the story of Mabel Norris Reese, click here.
Florida lawmakers push to have Groveland Four exonerated
Florida lawmakers push to have Groveland Four exoneratedPublished: December 10, 2019, 6:18 pmFlorida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Florida lawmakers will renew their effort Tuesday to exonerate four men, known as the Groveland Four, who were wrongfully convicted of rape in 1949 in Lake County.
Florida leaders renew effort to exonerate Groveland Four
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. โ Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Florida lawmakers will renew their effort Tuesday to exonerate four men, known as the Groveland Four, who were wrongfully convicted of rape in 1949 in Lake County. Last year, the Florida Clemency Board posthumously pardoned Ernest Thomas, Samuel Shepherd, Charles Greenlee and Walter Irvin. โPardons were a major step forward, and the Greenlee family is very grateful to the Cabinet members for their actions earlier this year,โ said Carol Greenlee, the daughter of Charles Greenlee. Thompson announced Tuesday she would push for a joint House-Senate resolution, to exonerate the men and ensure that the state officially recognizes their innocence. โI was proud to stand with my cabinet colleagues to issue a pardon of the Groveland Four โ but more action is needed.