A Murder At White Path Part 2: The Florida Murders
In 1939, Redden remarried Evelyn Ray of Gilmer County. She was 12 years his junior. At the time Redden was 48 and his bride was 36.
Ten years later, at one of R.W. Randell's rentals events were set in motion that would set a course for disaster.
Another Murder
On February 1, 1949, Mr. Randell and his wife traveled together to collect rent from one of his African-American tenants, 38 year old Theodore Samms, a local waiter. Accounts differ about what happened next. Redden claimed Mr. Samms pushed his wife Evelyn and charged at him. Other eyewitnesses reported Mr. Redden ordering Mr. Samms out if the room and shooting him when he didn't obey. Shortly after Redden arrived he shot Theodore Samms in the chest with a .38.
Mr. Samms ran into the street and fell over dead. Redden called Madison County Sheriff Flanders Thompson and self-reported the shooting as an act of self-defense. Redden was arrested and released on $10,000 bond the following day. At the time of his release, the state's attorney, Mack Smiley wasn't clear on whether the charges would be delivered as first-degree murder or as a lesser type of homicide.
On March 31, a jury indicted Redden for first-degree murder after hearing testimony from six witnesses.
The Sheriff prepared to rearrest Mr. Randell but the circuit judge granted him a contiunance of his bond because of his mental condition. Redden was being treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore at a psychiatric ward. Trial was supposed to begin in April, but Mr. Randell's attorney asked for a delay until November. The trial was set for June 13, 1949.
Trial Again
Mr. Randell met before Judge W.T. Harrison in Lee County, Florida. The state presented its case. A witness named Lona Hunt claimed Mr. Randell ordered Samms out of the room, but pushed him down on a couch before shooting him in the chest.
The next day the jury was brought out to the crime scene and the prosecution took a break.
Later that day, the defense team presented Randell's defense as essentially self-defense of his wife. A surprise witness, painter Nick Bulwan, said he happened to look through a window while surveying the building and saw Samms make an attack. Bulwan said he had not previously reported what he saw because he did not realize Samms had been injured.
Mrs. Randell that testified that Samms had a knife. When asked why she didn't originally report this she said she forgot. It's hard to believe that you would forget someone pulled a knife on you. Consequently the prosecution pointed out the differences between the Randell's testimony and how it differed later. The state contended that what Mr. Randell should have done is backed away from the situation instead of escalating it.
On the evening of the 14th, the jury found Redden guilty of manslaughter instead of first degree murder. Sentencing was postponed for the time being and Mr. Randell remained free on his $10,000 bond.
The Hiccup
In late June the defense pushed for a new trial. The reason was eight of the twelve jurors watched a murder mystery movie while deliberating. The defense argued the film prejudiced the jury. On June 27, 1949, the jury met with the judge and told him the film did not influence their decision. Judge Harrison postponed sentencing while he looked through case files.
That September Judge Harrison denied Mr. Randell's request for a new trial and sentencing was set for November 2, 1949.
The Sentencing
On November 2, 1949, Redden W. Randell became the first white man in Lee County, Florida history to be convicted and found guilty of killing an African American and was sentenced to five years in prison.
He was to remain free on bond while Redden appealed the decision to the higher court.
Randell never went to prison. Find out why in Part 3 of the Murder at Whitepath story Tomorrow.
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