Sheriff Edward Porter, Jr.

Edward Porter, Jr.

Sheriff Porter was stabbed and shot to death while investigating the theft of a coat from a men's store. He had taken the suspect out of school to question him. The boy admitted to taking the coat after giving the store a bad check and agreed to take the sheriff to his home on Shady Road to get the coat.

As the two left the house the boy was able to conceal an ice pick under his arm. When they got into the car the sheriff saw the ice pick and, as he reached for his pistol, the suspect began to stab him. The gun was knocked onto the seat and the sheriff fell out of the car. The suspect picked up the gun and shot the sheriff several times. Thinking the sheriff was dead, he put him into the passenger seat and began to drive away. The sheriff, who was barely alive, tried to grab his gun back but the suspect shot him in the throat, killing him.

The suspect purposely crashed the patrol car into a tree and then returned home where he changed. He was arrested a short time later and confessed to the murder.

The 16-year-old boy was convicted of first degree murder and executed in the electric chair September 28th, 1954.

Sheriff Porter was survived by his wife and daughter.