Jesse Delbert Daniels (September 25, 1938 – June 21, 2018) was a disabled Florida man who was held in the

Florida State Hospital Florida State Hospital (FSH) is a hospital and psychiatric hospital in Chattahoochee, Florida. Established in 1876, it was Florida's only state mental institution until 1947. It currently has a capacity of 1,042 patients. The hospital's current A ...

for 14 years without ever standing trial after being accused of raping a woman in

Okahumpka, Florida Okahumpka is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 267 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the loc ...

and being declared unfit to stand trial. Judge

Truman Futch Truman G. Futch Jr. (October 1, 1891 – March 24, 1960) was an American state senator and judge in Florida. He served as president of the state senate. He also served three terms in the Florida House of Representatives. As a Lake County, Florida ...

, who was also involved in the

Groveland Four The Groveland Four (or the Groveland Boys) were four African American men, Ernest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd, and Walter Irvin. In July 1949, the four were accused of raping a white woman and severely beating her husband in Lake C ...

trial and who denied an effort to prosecute Sheriff

Willis McCall Willis Virgil McCall (July 21, 1909 – April 28, 1994) was sheriff of Lake County, Florida. He was elected for seven consecutive terms from 1944 to 1972. He gained national attention in the Groveland Case in 1949. In 1951, he shot two defen ...

after he shot two of the accused during an alleged escape attempt while they were handcuffed together and being transported in the sheriff's custody. Daniels was held at

Chattahoochee The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the con ...

. Author Gilbert King wrote the book ''Beneath a Ruthless Sun'' about the events. Daniels was born in

Leesburg, Florida Leesburg is a city in central Florida. The population was 20,117 at the 2010 census. As of 2019, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 23,671. Leesburg is in Lake County, between Lake Harris and Lake Griffin, at the head of the ...

. Journalist Mabel Norris Reese helped bring attention to his case and lawyer Richard Graham worked pro bono on appeals that eventually resulted in his being freed. He was compensated $75,000. After his release, he worked as an assistant cook at a hotel where his mother was a maid and did odd jobs. He rode a bicycle in Daytona Beach and enjoyed old country songs and playing guitar.

References

1938 births 2018 deaths American people with disabilities People from Leesburg, Florida {{Crime-bio-stub