Sheriff

Edward Porter, Jr.

Marion County Sheriff's Office, Florida

End of Watch: Friday, April 13, 1951


About two dozen people unveiled a new monument Sunday at Anthony Cemetery to mark the 63rd anniversary of the death of Marion County Sheriff Edward Porter Jr., who was killed in the line of duty.

Porter was killed on April 13, 1951, while he was investigating a forged check case. On that day, which was Friday the 13th, Porter identified a teenager suspected of forging a check to buy a $22 white sport coat from Tomlinson’s Men’s Shop in Ocala.

Back then, Marion County had six deputies serving about 40,000 residents, which meant Porter worked cases on top of his administrative duties.

Porter went to nearby Howard High School to question 16-year-old Orion Johnson about the check in hopes of getting the jacket back.

That visit cost Porter, then 44, his life.

The sheriff drove with Johnson to the teenager’s home. While inside, Johnson grabbed an ice pick and concealed it in his clothing.

A short time later, Johnson stabbed Porter repeatedly and then shot the county’s top law enforcement officer to death in his own patrol car.

Johnson, who drove the car to a remote location and tried to make it look as if the sheriff had crashed his car, called a taxi and went back to school.

Johnson was later arrested and convicted after confessing to the slaying. He received the death penalty and was electrocuted in late 1954 in Raiford.

At 3 p.m. Sunday, thanks to the Anthony Cemetery committee, Porter’s grave received a new marker. This one sits at the foot of his grave and recognizes his service as sheriff from 1946-51.

John Cramer, the president of the Anthony Cemetery committee, said everyone was in agreement that a monument was needed to share Porter’s sacrifice to the citizens of Marion County.

The event was attended by former Marion County Sheriffs Ed Dean and Don Moreland, as well as many other current and retired Sheriff’s Office employees.

Chief Deputy Fred LaTorre, currently second in command under Sheriff Chris Blair, spoke about Porter and officially dedicated the memorial. Bill Fish, Marion County’s superintendent of schools from 1972-76, also attended.

Cramer said the monument was placed there to honor Porter and his family for his service to the community. Officials also read off the names of six other Sheriff’s Office employees killed in the line of duty.

Before the short dedication, two of Porter’s nieces — Bunny Grant and Colleen Mitchell — arrived at the service.

Grant was in her early 20s in 1951 when the family was planning a birthday celebration for her grandmother, who was born on April 9. But since it fell at the beginning of the week, the family decided to wait until Friday night, April 13.

Grant said Porter was the husband of her mother’s youngest sister. She said everyone was about to gather when the news started to spread.

“We were told that Uncle Ed (Porter) was dead,” said Grant, adding that forever changed how the family celebrated. “We never waited to hold our birthday gatherings after that.

More than a dozen years ago, back in May 2000, law enforcement officers gathered at the Marion County Jail as part of Law Enforcement Appreciation Month to rededicate a monument built years ago to honor Porter. The monument was moved in late 1985 to the new jail.

http://www.ocala.com/article/2014041...9876?p=3&tc=pg