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In 1949, Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas were accused of sexually assaulting Norma Padgett in Groveland, Florida, about 30 miles west of Orlando. The group ended up calling it the "Groveland Four".
Padgett's testimony aroused doubt from the beginning, but at the time of Jim Crow, a jury found the men guilty without evidence of a crime.
Gov. Ron DeSantis granted the men Friday a complete posthumous forgiveness.
"It's been seventy years since their story was poorly written for crimes they did not commit.As I said before, there is still much to expect., It's never too much late to do what's right, "DeSantis said in a statement. "I believe that the rule of law is the sacred bond of society.When it is trampled, we all suffer.For Groveland Four, the truth was buried.The perpetrators celebrated.But justice has shouted since that day until 39, to date. "
The apology was unanimously approved by the executive committee of clemency, according to a statement from the new governor's office.
The incident of the night of July
Padgett claimed that on the night of July 16, 1949, his car broke down in Groveland. She added that the four men arrested her and raped her
. Three of them were tortured until the police could obtain confessions from two of them.
Thomas, who managed to escape from prison, was killed as a result of a manhunt.
Greenlee was sentenced to life in prison.
Shepherd and Irvin were sentenced to death. While he was being transported from the county jail to be retried, the sheriff shot them and presented himself as self-defense.
Shepherd died on the scene and Irvin survived by posing as a dead man. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
"Memories Can not be Erased"
"As a state, we are really sorry said Representative Chris Sprowls to the men's families, after legislators voted unanimously to exonerate them.
"The memories can not be erased, the pain that they endured can not be repaired, but today, we have the opportunity to close these families in the form of. apologies, "said BNB representative Bobby DuBose, who sponsored the bill that called for their pardon.
Devon M. Sayers of CNN contributed to this report. [19659018]
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