Constable Thomas J. Wilder

Thomas J. Wilder

Constable Thomas Wilder was shot and killed while taking a woman to jail after arresting her at a local carnival.

A man at the carnival approached the pair and fatally shot Constable Wilder. The man later turned himself in to the county sheriff as an angry mob of citizens began searching for him.

The 18-year-old suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. His sentence was later commuted to eight years and he was paroled in December of 1931. In September 1932, he was returned to prison for violating his parole.

Constable Wilder had only served with the Perry County Constaberl's Office for four months after being elected. He already been shot and seriously wounded in another incident the same month he took office in January 1926. He was survived by his wife, one son, and six brothers.

Constable Wilder's other son, Deputy Constable Schley Wilder, had been shot and killed in the line of duty only three months earlier while making an arrest.