Detective Louis L. Shirley

Louis L. Shirley

Detective Louis Shirley was shot and killed while patrolling the New York Central rail yards in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.

He was shot in the back twice when he interrupted the burglary of railroad cars near the passenger terminal. Detective Shirley had voluntarily started his shift 30 minutes early but was shot at 5:23 pm, only 23 minutes later.

A suspect was arrested but convicted only of manslaughter and sentenced to a maximum of two to 21 years in prison. The suspect was later sentenced to life in prison after a conviction of being a habitual offender.

Detective Shirley was a United States WWI veteran and had served with the New York Central Railroad Police Department for three years. He was survived by his widowed mother.

He is buried at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana.