Johnnie Mae Chappell

Johnnie Mae Chappell ( – March 23, 1964) was an American murder victim during a race riot in Jacksonville, Florida, killed by a gunshot from a passing car. After evidence and documents went missing, her killer was convicted of manslaughter and served only three years in prison. The other passengers were never charged. Detectives working the investigation claimed they lost their jobs due to their complaints regarding police racism and how the case was handled.

Life Johnnie Mae Chappell was a mother of 10 and worked as a cleaner. Her husband was named Willie, and worked two jobs. After being found by her husband who had left the house to look for her, Chappell was being transported to a hospital in an ambulance when she died.

As word of Chappell's killing spread, riots escalated in the city. When they went to read the paperwork regarding Chappell's death, however, they found that it was missing. They later found under the mat in the office of their boss, detective chief James Patrick Sr., along with about 30 other reports involving cases which Patrick Sr. wanted dropped.

The four men went to trial, but the gun used in the shooting went missing and the detectives were not asked to testify about the confessions. As a result, the jury convicted Rich, who claimed that he didn't intend to kill Chappell, of manslaughter and the charges were dropped against the other men. Rich served three years of a 10-year sentence, and Cody and Coleman were demoted and later fired by detective chief James C. Patrick Sr. after complaining about racism and corruption in the department.

On the 32nd anniversary of Chappell's murder one of her sons, Shelton, organized a memorial church service for their family. Having seen an article about the planned service in the local newspaper, Cody attended, and told the family the details of Chappell's murder and his investigation. In 2005 Cody and Shelton filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Jacksonville and the men in the car; the suit was dismissed but Jeb Bush asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to re-open the murder investigation.

Spencer was strongly implicated in three other murders, that of Beverly Cochran, Dr. John Hunt, who was slain in the Idaho desert in 1959, and Virginia Tomlinson and Leon "Shorty" Hammel, both of whom he'd met during a road trip. While stopping at a gas station, Mary Catherine Hampton, Spencer's girlfriend, overheard Spencer and Shorty talking about killing a woman. Shortly after, Spencer pulled the car over in an isolated area, took Tomlinson into the woods, and killed her. He later did the same to Shorty. Spencer stopped in Florida in April 1960, where he rented an apartment. However, he fled only three days later, after killing Johnnie Keen. Spencer was finally arrested after a police chase, after being seen speeding. Spencer's account of the crime appeared to become increasingly credible, as his landlady recalled finding a blood-soaked mattress in an empty apartment next to his, which she'd never reported. Patrick suppressed evidence in the case, and later announced that "information developed in recent weeks" indicated that Cochran was still alive and had left home of her own accord. Clarence McCormick later became a career bank robber. In 1965, he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for bank robbery. He was paroled in the 1970s. McCormick continued to live a criminal lifestyle, albeit he often received leniency in exchange for helping the authorities. On January 20, 1980, McCormick, 54, was fatally shot by an accomplice in a robbery at a motel in Georgia.

Patrick also took bribes in the case of the June 29, 1964, murder of Glen Monroe, a banker's son who was shot twice in the back and dumped on a deserted beach access ramp. Wealthy Atlantic Beach socialite and shopping mall developer Bobby Jacobs became the prime suspect in the murder. However, the investigation was ended after Jacobs paid a bribe to Patrick. In March 1974, a man named Raymond Beauchesne tried to abduct Jacobs from his home. He then shot Jacobs and killed a security guard, before committing suicide. Jacobs was critically injured, but survived.

In 1965, Patrick Sr. was placed on leave for evidence tampering. His wife later testified that afterwards, his drinking became even worse, ultimately culminating in his death.