Constable Oliver William Wilhite

Oliver William Wilhite

Constable Oliver Wilhite was shot and killed as he attempted to serve a writ of restitution on a subject who had refused to vacate his father's property in Liberty Township.

Constable Wilhite and a deputized citizen proceeded to the residence, about two miles south of Clayton, to serve the writ. Upon their arrival, they were met with no resistance, took the subject's shotgun and removed his belongings outside. As the deputized citizen retrieved materials to secure the front door of the residence, he heard three shots. The subject had pulled a revolver and fatally shot Constable Wilhite.

As the deputized citizen went for assistance, he saw the subject running across a large field, assuming he was attempting to escape. The subject instead went about a quarter of a mile to his cousin's house. There he confronted her, as she had objected to him wanting to marry her sister, and fatally shot her in front of her 5-year-old child. He then returned to his father's property until being taken into custody. The suspect was later found guilty and convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he died in 1939.

Constable Wilhite was survived by his wife, daughter, four grandchildren, and three sisters.