The 2020 crime rate in Live Oak, FL is 386 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 1.5 times greater than the U.S. average. Crime risk data are updated annually. There is no word on what became of Sam Jr., or Ruby's youngest daughter, Loretta. "Woman Chased by Mob After Slaying Doctor: Murder of White Medico Touches Off Powder Keg." Anita Seamans said. Ellis also cites reporters who spoke with residents of Live Oak at the time, dispelling the notion that the townspeople of Live Oak did not speak to any of them.[20]. Ruby McCollum met Dr. C. Leroy Adams, a white physician and state senator-elect, in his office in Live Oak, Florida. It is considered to have helped change attitudes about the practice of "paramour rights. Circuit Court of the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida, in and for Suwannee County. The prosecuting attorney said that McCollum had shot Adams in anger over a disputed bill, an account supported by three witnesses during the trial. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 57-year-old Live Oak man drove off Ohio Avenue (U.S. Highway 129) around 3:30 a.m. Saturday as his southbound 2004 Ford Explorer neared the intersection with Duval Street. You can read WCTVs original story below. Ellis, C. Arthur (Jr.) and Leslie E. Ellis. Florida was a segregated state where Black people had been essentially disenfranchised since the turn of the century amid passage of a constitution and laws imposing poll taxes, literacy tests, and other barriers to voter registration and Black voting. Click to reveal One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 23. She appeared to have died from multiple gunshot wounds. The sheriff is not releasing the names of the victims but says the husband and wife were both in their late 40s. [3] Workman was Ruby McCollum's physician when she was pregnant with Adams' child. Violent Crimes - Murder Rape Robbery Assault Property Crimes - Burglary Larceny Auto Theft Crime Rate per 100,000 Pop. She had driven there with her two young children. [citation needed] A 2014 episode of the Investigation Discovery show A Crime to Remember, "The Shot Doctor," perpetuated this error. [3], In 1974, attorney Frank Cannon, who was her primary attorney during her murder trial in 1952, visited McCollum in the mental hospital. Given what is known, the purpose of sending her so far from her home could vary. Essentially McCollum was silenced in court regarding additional testimony that would have established mitigating circumstances. In front of an all-white male jury, McCollum testified that Adams raped her in her home and in his office (located immediately across the street from the courthouse), and that he insisted that she bear his child. [2], However, the local undertaker at the time, Charles Hall, has stated that Sam "knew his life was over" when his wife shot Adams, and he purposely overdosed on his heart medication after knowing his kids were safe with Ruby's mother. She said this freed whites to create a "cover story. Date(s) & Update Frequency: All the trademarks displayed on this page are the property of Location, Inc. Her coverage helped McCollum's case gain a national and international audience.[3]. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wadsworth, Louie. All of Cannon's efforts to introduce the doctor's pattern of repeated physical abuse of her at the office were objected to by the prosecutor and most objections were upheld by the judge. Disclaimer: SpotCrime pulls from multiple sources including news reported incidents. Twenty seven years later, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received a tip from a. It was at this time that Ruby developed an addiction to heroin. Deputies found the body of Cinda South, 62, in her home on 76th Street in Live Oak on Monday. Ruby McCollum, born Ruby Jackson (August 31, 1909 May 23, 1992), was a wealthy married African-American woman in Live Oak, Florida, who is known for being arrested and convicted in 1952 for killing Dr. C. Leroy Adams, a prominent white doctor and state senatorelect. [3] Their son and oldest child, Sam Jr., had started college at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles) by 1952.[4]. Death Certificate No. Copyright 2022 WCJB. Aside . At this point, no arrests have been made in the case. Cason was indicted on second degree armed murder charges a month later. [citation needed], Before the second trial, McCollum was examined and found mentally incompetent to stand trial. According to our research of Florida and other state lists, there were 67 registered sex offenders living in Live Oak, Florida as of July 05, 2023. She testified as to their sexual relationship and his paternity of her child. [1] McCollum's attorney, Releford McGriff, became part of a team who worked to change Florida's Jim Crow practice of selecting all-white juries. Few other communities of this size have a crime rate as high as Live Oak. Homan then told a child who was near the victim, to duck out of the way, and shot the victim several times, unprovoked. It allowed release of mental patients who were not judged to be a threat to themselves or the community. Copyright 2022 WCJB. All rights reserved. Jet Magazine reporters visited Ruby McCollum there in 1958 and published their interview with her. She would be readmitted to Brewster a few more times, both when Dr. Adams son died; and when Dr. Adams won the primary race for the state senate. In 2009, C. Arthur Ellis wrote a historical novel. It was an all-white jury, some of whom had been Dr. Adams' patients. According to Zora Neale Hurston, who reported on the trial for the Pittsburgh Courier: Ruby was allowed to describe how, about 1948, during an extended absence of her husband, she had, in her home, succumbed to the sexual assault. Elizabeth Boyd, "Disquiet", Review of Tammy Evans, Peter Marks, "In Black and White: Cold Blood or Hot Rage? TRENDING: Gainesville man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. In addition, the judge who presided over the trial was a pallbearer at Dr. Adams' funeral. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. John Christopher Homan, 50, has been arrested and. GAINESVILLE, FL 1 DAY AGO WCJB The family arranged for her to be buried beside her brother and his wife in the cemetery behind Hopewell Baptist Church in Live Oak. The press was never allowed to interview McCollum. "[7] An employee at the doctor's office later described seeing the doctor accept "large deliveries of cash in examination rooms. 18,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). Upon appeal of her death sentence, the Florida Supreme Court determined that Judge Adams had violated her civil rights by not allowing her to be present at the jury visit to the scene of the crime. Updated annually. In his annotated edition of the trial transcript, Ellis explores the intertwining of personal and professional relationships among the figures prominent in the case and the trial. NewsBreak provides latest and breaking Live Oak, FL local news, weather forecast, crime and safety reports, traffic updates, event notices, sports, . The sheriffs office noted, to dispel unfounded rumors, the victims were not drug dealers. She was required to sit upstairs in the segregated gallery of the courtroom. [17] During that period, Huie met the director, Elia Kazan. The 2020 Live Oak crime rate rose by 18% compared to 2019. Importantly, we found that Live Oak has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation according to our analysis of FBI crime data. All rights reserved. and 40th St., on the west side of the county. Crime views are limited to 5 when not logged in to a FREE account. Police say the incident happened outside of Cason's home on 5th Street in Live Oak when the two friends got into an argument. 82% Property crime NAT. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. A majority of the crime incidents are directly from local police agencies. After the shooting, Ruby McCollum put away her . 2 bodies discovered in Suwannee County. Sam went into business with him and was reported to be a player in North Florida crime, including gambling and liquor sales. Raw data sources: The prosecution questioned this, pointing out that Adams was 100 pounds heavier than Ruby McCollum and all of the shots were fired into his back. Discuss Live Oak, Florida (FL) on our hugely popular Florida forum. Dr. C. Leroy Adams had a reputation as a "benevolent and popular doctor who administered to the needy. Ruby's parents recognized her intelligence and sent her to a private school, Fessenden Academy, where she excelled in bookkeeping. "[7], Shortly before Adams' murder, The Suwannee Democrat began threatening to release information on Sam McCollums gambling ring, which put stress on Ruby and caused her to enter Brewster, an African-American hospital in Jacksonville. Ruby McCollum drove a new Chrysler automobile each year. [2], In November 1980, Al Lee of the Ocala Star Banner interviewed McCollum at the rest home in Silver Springs. Sheriff St. John says that Homan and the victim lived at the same home. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Deputies say neighbors heard gunshots around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday in a subdivision near 167th Road and 40th Street. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The road was closed for a few hours after officials with the sheriff's office announced the investigation Saturday afternoon. Husband and wife found dead in a car in Suwannee County, Judge blocks part of Floridas new voter registration law, Two prominent community leaders part of suit against Governor over GRU control, Its been hard: Demiahs family expresses frustration to delay in murder trial, Ex-Florida QB Jalen Kitna agrees to plea deal that drops 5 felony child porn charges, Death investigation underway in Suwannee County. GPD officials say officers were able to locate Parker's vehicle with the help of the U.S. We will get to work on it. Lake City Police found the couple dead in a car near Lake Desoto Monday morning. Reviewer Elizabeth Boyd writes, "The starkness of the crime was matched only by the evasiveness that characterized its aftermath, and it is this prevarication--this collective dissembling on the part of Live Oak folk, white and black--that is the true subject of the book. [citation needed] The sensational case was covered widely in the United States press (including a press report written by Zora Neale Hurston, as well as by international papers). McCollum was subjected to a gag order. Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. John Christopher Homan, 50, has been arrested and charged with murder and child abuse. [3] In those years, the State Mental Hospital at Chattahoochee was investigated more than once over issues of patient treatment, overuse of medications including thorazine, and the administration of electroshock therapy, which can affect memory. Until this time, Ellis claims, African-American women were afforded no protection under the law for rape by a white man. The court cited Judge Hal W. Adams, the presiding judge, for failing to be present at the jury's inspection of the scene of the crime.[14]. They were simply two hard-working professionals heading to work who crossed paths with evil, the sheriffs office stated. The 2020 Live Oak crime rate rose by 18% compared to 2019. As Judge Adams upheld prosecutor's objections during the trial, the defense attorney Cannon was prevented from introducing most of the evidence related to Adams' sexual abuse of McCollum. [2] McCollum's daughters Sonja and Kay both married and lived in Ocala, Florida. GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - A month after a double murder in Suwannee County, sheriffs deputies have a person of interest in the case. This was temporary and for her protection, according to contemporary accounts. Cold case suspect found living under fake name extradited for 1984 murder. There was extensive coverage of the trial, but the judge put McCollum under a gag order. Read more about Scout's Crime Data. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Hurston, Zora Neale. Violent crime NAT. Rose with the Lake City Police Department at (386) 752-4343. Ruby McCollum, born Ruby Jackson (August 31, 1909 - May 23, 1992), was a wealthy married African-American woman in Live Oak, Florida, who is known for being arrested and convicted in 1952 for killing Dr. C. Leroy Adams, a prominent white doctor and state senator-elect. The court prevented her defense attorney from presenting more complete information about their relationship. She was committed to the state mental hospital (Florida State Hospital) at Chattahoochee, Florida. She was allowed, however, to testify to being forced to have Adams' baby. In a related sideline, the McCollums also sold burial policies and owned a local funeral home. "[3] In 1952 he was elected to the state senate. [opinion][citation needed] McCollum's case is considered a landmark trial by these people in the struggle for civil rights as they believe she was the first black woman to testify against a white man's sexual abuse and paternity of their child. LCPD said the names of the two victims are not being released until they have been positively identified and next of kin notification has been made. Series of articles covering the trial: "Psychiatrists Report Woman Slayer Insane", "Woman may be freed in Fla. doctor's death",, This page was last edited on 23 June 2023, at 05:15. On May 23, 1992, at 4:45 AM, McCollum died of a stroke at the New Horizon Rehabilitation Center, at the age of 82. Meanwhile, electronic evidence is still being collected, sorted, and analyzed. Deputies say if you have any questions or information regarding the incident and investigation in Suwannee County, contact Jacob Williamson with the Suwannee County Sheriffs Office at (386)-362-2222. *On this date in 1952, a Black woman murdered a white man in Florida. They later returned a good portion of it to him, after the IRS deducted appropriate taxes and penalties. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: Click on the links below to see charts for each crime category. [citation needed], From the late 17th century, Virginia and other colonies established laws that children of enslaved mothers were also born into slavery, regardless of their paternity, under the principle of partus sequitur ventrem. By the 1940s and early 1950s, the McCollums were reported to have "amassed a fortune." There are no other suspects and there are no known threats to the public, according to the sheriff. Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. McCollum was institutionalized at the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee until 1974, when her attorney, Frank Cannon, successfully filed for her release under Florida's recently enacted Baker Act. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Hurston, who was unable to attend the appeal or the second trial for financial reasons, contacted journalist William Bradford Huie to interest him in the case.