Detective H. Thomas Guerry

H. Thomas Guerry

Detective Thomas Guerry was shot and killed by two robbery suspects at the intersection of West Ortega Street and Bradbury Avenue at approximately 5:30 pm.

He and his partner noticed two suspicious persons who later turned out to be felons from Baltimore, Maryland, who were on a cross country crime spree. As the detectives stepped out of their vehicle, both subjects fired on them, fatally wounding Detective Guerry. Detective Guerry's partner was able to return fire and wounded one of the the suspects.

Both suspects were apprehended and convicted of murder. One of the men was sentenced to life and the other to death, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment when the death penalty was abolished in California in 1972. He died in prison in 1992.

Detective Guerry had served with the Santa Barbara Police Department for eight years. He was survived by his wife and two children.