Judge exonerates Groveland Four in notorious rape case from 1949

Carol Greenlee Crawley, second from left, daughter of Charles Greenlee, reacts after Circuit Court Judge Heidi Davis dismissed all charges against Ernest Thomas, Samuel Shepherd, Charles Greenlee and Walter Irvin, known as the Groveland Four, during a proceeding at the Lake County Courthouse Monday, Nov. 22, 2021, in Tavares, Fla. The four were falsely accused of raping 17-year-old Norma Padgett and assaulting her husband in 1949. (Phelan M. Ebenhack for the Orlando Sentinel) (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Orlando Sentinel)