Constable Robert Bunyan Sheppard

Robert Bunyan Sheppard

Constable Sheppard was shot and killed when he and the town sergeant of Stuart, Virginia, attempted to stop a stolen car. The car had been confiscated during a prohibition investigation and had been stolen from the county garage the previous night.

The two officers stopped the vehicle and as Constable Sheppard attempted to arrest the occupants, he was shot. The town sergeant was shot in the chest and seriously wounded when he went to Constable Sheppard's aid.

Five men were arrested in connection with Constable Sheppard's murder. The man, 25, who fired the shots was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Another was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years. Two brothers were also sentenced; one to 30 years and the other to 35 years for their parts in the shootings and theft of the vehicle. The fifth suspect was convicted of accessory after the fact and sentenced to 2.5 years. On February 14, 1933, the one sentenced to 30 years was convicted of the attempted murder of the town sergeant and got another 13 years added to his sentence.