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Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King shares his perspective on the latest in the Groveland Four case

by (WMFE)

From left, Walter Irvin, Charles Greenlee, and Samuel Shepherd were wrongfully prosecuted for rape in 1949. A fourth man, Ernest Thomas, was killed during a manhunt before he could be arrested. Photo: Gary Corsair


A judge in Lake County will hold a hearing today on whether to posthumously clear the names of the Groveland Four.

The young Black men were wrongly prosecuted — and two of them were shot to death — following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old white girl in 1949.

For some perspective on this case, WMFE’s Joe Byrnes spoke with Gilbert King, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Devil in the Grove” brought the story to national attention again.

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Joe Byrnes

About Joe Byrnes

Reporter

Joe Byrnes came to WMFE/WMFV from the Ocala Star-Banner and The Gainesville Sun, where he worked as a reporter and editor for several years. Joe graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans and turned to journalism after teaching. He enjoys freshwater fishing and family gatherings.

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