Sheriff Govan C. Mills

Govan C. Mills

Sheriff Mills was shot and killed when he noticed a suspicious car parked on the side of a road as he and his wife drove by. He had another deputy back him up and they confronted two men inside of the car. One of the men produced a gun and held the two officers at gunpoint. When one of the men went to disable Sheriff Mills' car the sheriff attempted to disarm the other suspect. The suspect opened fire, mortally wounding Sheriff Mills and wounding the other deputy.

Two days later both suspects were apprehended in Pueblo, Colorado, after a running gun battle with officers. Both were convicted of Sheriff Mills' murder and sentenced to life. Later one suspect escaped from the Kansas Penitentiary and fled to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he shot and killed a grocery store owner on May 27, 1931. On November 24, 1932, he was executed in Indiana's electric chair. The other suspect was denied parole in 1949.