Флорида выплатит 4 миллиона долларов наследникам четверых несправедливо осужденных в Гроувленде

GROVELAND, Fla. — More than 77 years after four Black men were falsely accused of a violent crime, their descendants joined Groveland leaders and Florida lawmakers to remember their lives and acknowledge one of the state’s most notorious racial injustices. The Groveland Four Legacy Luncheon honored Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas. Groveland Mayor Keith Keogh and Vice Mayor Barbara Gaines formally recognized Aug. 28, 2026, as the Groveland Four Day of Remembrance. The four men were falsely accused in 1949 after a white woman reported being raped in Lake County. The accusation sparked mob violence in Groveland. Homes were burned, gunfire erupted and many Black residents fled the community. Thomas was killed by an armed law enforcement posse before he could be arrested. Greenlee, Irvin and Shepherd were taken into custody and severely beaten, according to a Florida Senate analysis documenting the case. Greenlee, who was 16, was sentenced to life in prison. Irvin and Shepherd were sentenced to death. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Irvin’s and Shepherd’s convictions in 1951. While Lake County Sheriff Willis McCall was transporting the men for a new trial, he shot both of them and claimed they had attempted to escape. Shepherd died. Irvin survived and was later convicted again. His death sentence was eventually commuted to life in prison. Greenlee was paroled in 1962, while Irvin was released in 1968. Florida lawmakers formally acknowledged in 2017 that the four men were victims of gross injustice and called their treatment a shameful chapter in the state’s history. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet granted full posthumous pardons to all four men in 2019. In 2021, a Lake County judge dismissed the indictments against Thomas and Shepherd and set aside the convictions and sentences imposed against Greenlee and Irvin, formally clearing the men. The state’s 2026-27 budget includes $4 million in compensation for their descendants. The money will be divided into four equal shares representing the families of Greenlee, Irvin, Shepherd and Thomas. State Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis sponsored the Senate compensation proposal, while state Rep. RaShon Young sponsored the House effort. Both participated in the Groveland luncheon. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King also spoke during the event. King chronicled the case and the role of future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in his book, “Devil in the Grove.” Family representatives included Carol Crawley for the Greenlee family, Aaron Newson for the Thomas family, Eddie Irvin Jr. for the Irvin family and Dr. Beverly Robinson for the Shepherd family. City officials said the remembrance is part of Groveland’s continuing effort to honor the four men, confront the effects of structural racism and educate future generations about the case. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. ©2026 Cox Media Group