BILOXI, Miss. It was Lee Cody’s dream to become a police officer and a detective. After his stint with the Coast Guard, he did just that, joining the Duval County Sheriff’s Office.
On March 23, 1964, he was assigned to investigate the murder of 34-year-old Johnnie Mae Chappell of Jacksonville. But what he really learned was, they didn’t want the case solved at all.
“It’s been a terrible, terrible, terrible pain in my heart for many years that the truth was never told and they got away with it,” Cody said.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs “My Life, My Story” project seeks to document the accomplishments of those they serve. On a Zoom event on Wednesday, the VA honored Cody, who now lives in Long Beach, Miss., for his tireless work to find justice for a woman he didn’t know.
Former JSO detective honored for his advocacy of Civil Rights Martyr Johnnie Mae Chappell
Congressman John Rutherford credited former JSO Detective Lee Cody with helping transform local law enforcement by forcing folks to do the right thing. Author: First Coast News Staff Published: 7:36 PM EST December 10, 2020 Updated: 7:36 PM EST December 10, 2020
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Detective credited with helping to reveal the dark secrets behind a racist murder in 1964 was honored by the Veterans Administration Wednesday.
Lee Cody was one of the original detectives who worked the case of the killing of Johnnie Mae Chappell, a Black woman shot to death by a carload of white teenagers.
Civil Rights-Era detective honored by Biloxi VA for his work wlox.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wlox.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.