Florida clears Groveland Four of 1949 rape of white woman

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida has formally cleared 4 Black men who were falsely accused of raping a achromatic pistillate much than 7 decades ago.

At the section prosecutor's request, a justice connected Monday dismissed the charges and convictions against the Groveland Four: Ernest Thomas, Samuel Shepherd, Charles Greenlee, and Walter Irvin.

According to the Associated Press, the men ranged from 16 to 26 astatine the time.

They were accused of raping a pistillate successful the cardinal Florida municipality of Groveland successful 1949.

Thomas and Shepherd were fatally changeable by instrumentality enforcement.

According to the quality outlet, Thomas was changeable much than 400 times by a posse soon aft the rape accusation.

Shepherd was fatally changeable by the section sheriff, Willis McCall, the quality outlet reported.

The AP reported that McCall changeable and wounded Irvin successful 1951.

Greenlee and Irvin were wrongly convicted and served situation sentences.

The AP reported that Irvin was sentenced to death, but successful 1954, Gov. LeRoy Collins commuted his condemnation to beingness with parole.

He died successful 1969, 1 twelvemonth aft being paroled, the quality outlet reported.

Greenlee was sentenced to life, too, but was paroled successful 1962.

He died successful 2012, the AP reported.

Later grounds showed the sheriff and others had falsely accused the men.

The men's families told the AP that they anticipation this lawsuit volition let different convictions that happened during the Jim Crow epoch to beryllium looked astatine again, for those falsely convicted tin get their names cleared arsenic well.

According to the AP, the men were exonerated successful the aforesaid gathering their trials were held.