Killing of Jesse James Payne in Florida in 1945

Incident

Case summary

Jesse James Payne, a sharecropper and veteran, was killed in 1945 in police custody in Madison County, Florida. Payne was arrested by a sheriff's posse and charged with assault with intent to commit rape on a five-year-old white girl. When Payne was placed in unguarded Madison County Jail, he was kidnapped by unknown subjects and shot. His body was found on the highway seven miles from Madison, Florida.

Victim(s):

Jesse James Payne


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

David Goodwin

Robert Goodwin

D. L. Goodwin

Perpetrator group type: [ ]

Date of incident: 1945-10-11
Location: Madison County, Florida
Location type: public space - rural
Allegation against victim: assaulting a white girl; dispute over money for crops

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: yes
Finding of no legal responsibility: yes

Criminal process
Arrest: [ ]
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: yes
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]

FBI case ID:

Miami 44-53

DOJ case ID:

144-67-9

144-18-39


Document(s):
advocacy group resources
federal agency records
news articles - closed
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