Love and Murder in Nassau County, Florida

In 1947, Nassauville Road, across the Amelia River from Fernandina Beach, Florida, was a dirt road surrounded by deep woods.  The stillness of the forest remained undisturbed, decades before housing developments would replace it.  At night, the road leading from the hamlet of O'Neil in the north to the settlement of Seymour's Point in the south was pitch black, as the tree canopy overhead choked out even the light of the stars.  A few homes and churches dotted the periphery, set too far back to cast any illumination onto the path.

At 1:30 in the morning of August 13, 1947, Sidney Pope was driving to his home in Seymour’s Point following his shift at the Fernandina pulp mill.  He took a shortcut and turned left on a path that intersected with Nassauville Road.  There he came upon a car parked on the side of the road, facing him with it’s headlights on.  As he drove past the parked car, he looked over and saw that it was unoccupied.

Pope stopped to investigate. As he approached the car, he saw the ignition was on and the windows were down, but no one was visible inside. Upon reaching the vehicle, he spotted the bodies of two men slumped over in the front seat.  The two men had each been shot in the head and the inside of the car was coated in blood spatter.  They were obviously dead.

Sidney Pope raced home and telephoned Nassau County Sheriff H.N. Youngblood who responded to the scene along with his deputies R.A. Adams and C.J. Daniels.  Pope met the officers there and, now that the car was illuminated, was horrified to realize that the two dead men were his nephews, John and Curtis Graham who had recently returned from serving in the military.  By the next day the Graham boys’ former brother-in-law, Flem Griffis, would be charged with their murders.

The Daytona Beach News-Herald - August 13, 1947

Flemming Monroe Griffis was born on July 10, 1919 at the family farm in Jesup, Georgia.  He and his six siblings were born into one of the most well respected families in the town and even the state.  Flem’s father was a staunch believer that each of his male children needed to find their own way in the world, and by his early twenties, Flem moved to Jacksonville where he obtained work in a sawmill.

While working in Jacksonville Griffis met Nancy Graham, a pretty young woman who was working in a shipyard as a welder during the war.  Flem and Nancy married in 1945; he was 26 years old and she was just 15.  In February 1946 the couple had a baby, whom they also named Nancy.  The marriage was tumultuous and soon after the baby was born Nancy Graham Griffis returned with the baby to her parent’s home in Seymour’s Point, Nassau County.  She told her parents that Griffis treated her cruelly and she could no longer live with him.

Flem Griffis wrote a letter to his estranged wife, Nancy, that he was going to come and see the baby on November 12, 1946.  Wishing to avoid him, Nancy and the baby, along with Nancy’s mother and brother, spent the day in Jacksonville.  As they were returning to their home, Flem Griffis spotted them on a side road.  He forced their car off the road and approached it.  He pulled out a gun and told Nancy, “You might send me to jail but I’ll come back some day and kill the whole damn generation!”  Fearing for the safety of her family, Nancy agreed to return with him to Jacksonville.

The couple’s forced reunion did not last long. By March 1947 Nancy filed for divorce and again returned to her family’s home along with the baby.  The divorce was finalized in May and Nancy received sole custody of the child.  She also obtained a restraining order prohibiting Flem from harassing her or her family.

Flem Griffis was not happy about the divorce or about losing custody of his baby.  Over the next several months he went to the Graham residence several times, often obviously drunk, and demanded to see his ex-wife and his daughter.  Each time he was ordered to leave by Nancy Graham’s father and brothers, often at the point of a shotgun.

This Article is Reprinted with Permission from the Book

Florida Felons - Stories from the History of Raiford Prison

On the afternoon of August 12, 1947 Flem Griffis hitched a ride with Sam Null, a 60 year old fruit packer who he had befriended.  The two men were driving north on Heckscher Drive when an argument broke out between them. Null pulled off to the side of the road and told Griffis to get out.  Instead, Griffis reached into the glove compartment, where he knew Null kept a gun.  He pulled out the .45 caliber revolver and shot Null in the head, killing him instantly.  Griffis dragged Null’s body from the car and into the woods.  He then got back into the car and drove on.

Flem Griffis stopped at a local bar where he fortified himself with several drinks.  He asked the waitress, Ruth Meehan, if they had any .45 pistol bullets.  Ruth was surprised by this unusual request and told him that she didn’t know and that the owner of the bar was not there.  She was happy to see him get up and leave.  From there Griffis stopped at a gas station where he told the proprietor, Arnold Zetterower, that he was going to see his baby.

Griffis arrived at the Graham home in Seymour’s Point as the sun began to set.  The scene played out much as it had many times before.  Griffis stood in front of the house and demanded to see Nancy.  Nancy’s brother, Curtis, came out onto the porch and told Griffis to leave, stating there was no way he was going to see his ex-wife or his daughter.  The two men shouted back and forth, but Griffis finally got back in his vehicle and drove away.

Flem Griffis could not leave it alone.  He circled around the neighborhood as night fell and, when he passed by the Graham house again, he saw Curtis and his brother, John, exiting the house and heading for their car.  Griffis drove off before he could be spotted.  He traveled a short distance up the road, parked by the side and took cover in the underbrush.  A few minutes later, Curtis and John came upon the parked car which they recognized as the one Griffis was driving. They came to a halt to investigate.  Before they could exit their vehicle Griffis emerged from the shadows, walked over to their car and shot each of them once in the head.  He got back into the car he had taken from Sam Null and drove away.

At 1:30 in the morning the car containing the Graham brother’s dead bodies was discovered by Sidney Pope who was on his way home from his job.  He immediately notified Nassau County Sheriff Youngblood who responded to scene along with his deputies.  Pope identified the dead men as his nephews.  When they searched the car they found the vehicle registration and discovered that it belonged to Samuel C. Null of Jacksonville who immediately became the prime suspect.

Sidney Pope and Sheriff Youngblood went to the Graham house where they broke the terrible news to the dead men’s parents and sister.  After the Grahams related the trouble they had experienced with Flem Griffis, Youngblood was certain that Null or Griffis, or both, were responsible for the murders.

An all-points bulletin was put out for Sam Null and Flem Griffis the next morning along with a description of the car.  Meanwhile, the Sheriff and his deputies paid a visit to a cabin in the woods about 300 yards from the murder scene belonging to Edward Lawton.  Lawton, a poultry farmer who valued his privacy and respected the privacy of others, did not like talking to law enforcement officers. After some urging Lawton told them that he had heard two gunshots during the night.  Asked why he didn’t find that unusual Lawton said, “People shoot around here all the time.  Last night a party of fox hunters came along about that time – reckon it was close to nine o’clock.  I thought it might be them shooting.”

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies went to the apartments of both Flem Griffis and Sam Null.  Neither man was there when they arrived and neighbors said they had not seen either of them since the day before.  A couple of phone calls verified that neither had reported for work that morning.

Wayne County, Georgia, Sheriff R.E. Warren saw the wanted bulletin that was issued by Nassau County, Florida.  He knew the Griffis family and decided to visit their farm outside Jesup to inquire about the whereabouts of Flem.  As Sheriff Warren approached the house he saw Flem Griffis bolt out a side door and run off into the woods.  Rather than try to chase down the fugitive himself, the Sheriff thought it would be best to organize a search party.  He would later testify, “I took his pistol and the ignition keys from his car.  I went back to Jesup for bloodhounds but caught Griffis at a store telephoning when I returned.  He said he was calling me to come get him.”

Flem Griffis was arrested and held in the Wayne County Jail.  The car found at the Griffis family farm was confirmed as belonging to Sam Null.  Bloody fingerprints found inside the car were determined to belong to Griffis. The caliber of the gun matched that used to murder the Graham brothers and held three discharged cartridges. Griffis waived extradition and was transported to the Nassau County Jail in Fernandina to await indictment for the murders of John and Curtis Graham.  Sam Null was still missing.

Miami Herald - August 14, 1947

Griffis denied everything when he was questioned by Sheriff Youngblood.  “You’re crazy” Griffis told him.  “I was miles away.  I was in Jesup!  I didn’t know anything about the murders.”  In response Youngblood told Griffis “If you won’t tell me what happened, I’ll tell you.”  He went on to describe the events of the night as he saw them:  “You and Sam went to meet the Grahams on that side road.  You got into an argument with your wife’s brothers and shot them both dead.”

Youngblood’s theory that Sam Null participated in the murders was revised on August 17, 1947, when Null’s body was found in the woods off of Heckscher Drive.  An autopsy on the body disclosed he had been shot once through the head and that he had been dead about five days. Given the location and timing, it was likely that Griffis killed Null well before he reached Seymour’s Point, and that he committed the Graham murders on his own.  Since Null was killed outside of Youngblood’s jurisdiction, investigating his murder was up to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which would later charge Griffis with the crime.

This Article is Reprinted with Permission from the Book

Florida Felons - Stories from the History of Raiford Prison

Flem Griffis, then 27 years old, was arraigned in circuit court in Fernandina on October 16, 1947.  He was arraigned only for the murder of Curtis Graham.  He would face trial for John Graham's death later, if necessary.  The trial began on November 3, 1947.  Damning testimony was given by several witnesses, including Nassau County Sheriff Youngblood, Wayne County Sheriff Warren, Sidney Pope, Nancy Griffis, and the waitress and filling station operator who encountered Griffis on the day of the killing.

Flem Griffis then took the stand in his own defense.  He told a very different version of the events that occurred on August 12 and claimed that he shot the Graham brothers in self-defense.  According to his testimony, his life was regularly threatened by Curtis and John Graham.  On the night of the incident, he peacefully left the Graham house after the argument with Curtis.  He claimed that the Graham brothers followed him and forced him off the road.  When he approached their car, Curtis Graham again threatened him and struck him in the face, at which point Griffis claimed he had to shoot them for his own protection.

The case went to the jury on November 6, 1947.  After deliberating for one hour the jury foreman, R.E. Townsend, announced the verdict to the crowded courtroom.  Flemming Monroe Griffis was found guilty of first-degree murder with no recommendation of mercy.  Since the jury did not recommend mercy, Florida law at the time required Circuit Court Judge A.D. McNeil to sentence Griffis to death, which he did on November 26.

Flem Griffis was shipped off to Raiford state penitentiary to await his appointment with the electric chair.  Given his impending execution he was not tried for the murder of John Graham or that of Sam Null.  Griffis appealed his conviction to the Florida State Supreme Court claiming judicial error, but the appeal was denied.

Florida Governor Fuller Warren signed a death warrant for Griffis shortly after he was sworn into office in January 1949.  The warrant was delayed after Governor Warren received a request for a stay from Georgia Governor Herman Talmadge.  In Governor Talmadge’s letter, he said that he had known the Griffis family for 30 years and that its members had uncovered new evidence to present in the case. 

Governor Fuller Warren

“As a courtesy to the Governor of another state” Governor Warren granted the reprieve and turned the matter over to the state Pardon Board.  The pardon board set a hearing for August 3, 1949, but when the day came and no one appeared to speak on Griffis’ behalf the Governor signed a new warrant.

Flem Griffis’ execution was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on August 9, 1949.  After being strapped into the electric chair, he was asked if he had any last words.  Griffis replied, “I have no ill feeling or malice against anyone and I forgive everyone.”  The switch was pulled at 9:05 a.m. and he was pronounced dead by prison physician Dr. D.L. Nix at 9:12 a.m.  Flem’s body was claimed by the Griffis family and he was buried on their farm in Jesup.

Those who remained of the Graham family, namely Nancy, her parents, and her daughter, tried to rebuild their lives away from the unwanted publicity that resulted from the trial and execution of Flem Griffis.  The only record of any related action on their part came in 1951 when the father, Mose L. Graham, requested and received compensation from the state for the family car, which had been impounded as evidence and deteriorated while parked outside behind the county jail for two years.  Otherwise, they were satisfied to carry on as best they could and try to leave the horrible memories of the night of August 12, 1947 behind them.

This Article is Reprinted with Permission from the Book

Florida Felons - Stories from the History of Raiford Prison