A couple of decades ago, this southeast election machine whistleblower died.

His “suicide” is now being investigated as a murder.

Ray Lemme
July 1, 2003, Lemme was found dead in a Georgia hotel room

Ray Lemme, a former Florida investigator, died under suspicious circumstances after looking into allegations made by Clint Curtis about Yang Enterprises and Tom Feeney. Lemme had a distinguished career, serving in the Air Force during Vietnam before working in various state agencies, including the Comptroller’s Office and the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) in the 1980s and 90s. Later, he became an investigator in the Florida Department of Transportation’s Inspector General office.

After Clint Curtis and Mavis Georgalis approached him with concerns about illegal activities at Yang, Lemme initially disregarded the claims. However, he later decided to investigate independently. In mid-June 2003, Lemme informed Curtis that he had made significant progress on the case and would soon reveal his findings. A few weeks later, Lemme was discovered dead in a Valdosta, GA motel room. Despite the Valdosta Police Department ruling his death a suicide, evidence suggests a flawed investigation, possibly covering up a homicide. Particularly troubling is the presence of bruises on Lemme’s neck, indicating possible assault, which the VPD omitted from their report and concealed by claiming to have no crime scene photographs.

About his death:

Key issues included the timing of Lemme’s check-in, injuries inconsistent with suicide, and unaddressed forensic irregularities. The police investigation was criticized for rushing to conclusions, ignoring evidence, and discrepancies between their report and crime scene photos. Despite reopening the case briefly, it was closed without explanation after consulting with someone at the Florida Department of Transportation. Several peculiarities, including items missing from the evidence list and unexplained findings in Lemme’s car, further raised suspicions of foul play. Overall, questions remain about the handling of the case and the possibility of a cover-up.

  • 6/29, 6:45 PM: Lemme’s wife confirms he was still in Tallahassee, suggesting someone else may have checked in under his name. Motel worker disputes this, but witness saw Lemme’s car on the 29th, adding confusion.
  • 6/30, 6:54 AM: Lemme couldn’t have reached the motel from the payphone in time, implying someone else checked in.
  • 6/30, 6:45 PM: Lemme’s call from a payphone suggests he was en route to Valdosta, making a 12-hour stay before check-in improbable. Conflicts with time on alleged suicide note.
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