Slain man dumped near canal to be eaten by turtles in 1972, prisoner tells Florida cops

A prison confession helped investigators learn what happened to a man found dead by a canal in 1972, Florida authorities said.

More than 50 years later, investigators have now identified the slain man as Mack Proctor of Georgia.

A death investigation began May 17, 1972, when someone fishing found a body “in advanced stages of decomposition” next to a canal and an overpass in central Florida, according to a May 17 news release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The man had been shot in the head twice, but he had no wallet or identifying information, deputies said.

With no witnesses or tips, authorities said they buried the man in a pauper’s grave in Winter Haven, and the case went cold.

Inmate provides a lead

In 1974, an inmate in Florida came forward to tell detectives he may know something about the case.

Charles Williams said he was in prison with a man named Clarence Ingram, who told him about the killing of another man, deputies said.

According to Williams, Ingram and another man, Edgar Todd, met up with Proctor at a bar, then they left in Proctor’s truck and got into an argument.

During the altercation, Todd shot Proctor twice in the head, then they continued driving until they found a spot to leave him, Williams told detectives, per the release.

“They removed his wallet and rings, leaving him by the canal, so the turtles would eat him,” Williams told investigators, according to Ingram’s story.

Williams said Ingram told him they stole his truck and sold the tools inside.

Williams’ information appeared to be accurate and he “could only have learned these specific details from someone involved in the murder,” Polk County officials said.

But even with that information, investigators said they couldn’t find any further leads. They couldn’t identify the John Doe, and the case went cold again.

Man finally identified

In February 2017, 43 years later, detectives exhumed the body to collect DNA. They wanted to confirm whether the man they found buried was a man who went missing from Georgia in 1972 under similar circumstances.

Family members of that man submitted DNA samples, but testing could only confirm he was not the same man, and the search for his identity continued.

Genealogical testing eventually revealed potential relatives, who submitted their own samples that came back as a positive match, deputies said.

Investigators identified the John Doe as 57-year-old Mack Lavell Proctor.

The man’s son confirmed his father was planning to leave Georgia around the time he was last seen, according to investigators. The son said his father was a mechanic and kept his tools in his vehicle, which aligned with what Williams said.

However, deputies said the two men accused of killing him are dead.

“Unfortunately, we cannot hold them accountable for the cold-blooded killing and robbery of Mr. Proctor,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference. “However, we have provided some closure to Mr. Proctor’s family and concluded a cold case homicide investigation.”

Polk County is about a 55-mile drive southeast from downtown Tampa.

This story was originally published May 17, 2024 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Slain man dumped near canal to be eaten by turtles in 1972, prisoner tells Florida cops."