Guard Walter E. Snow

Walter E. Snow

Guard Walter Snow was shot and killed when he was attacked by an inmate during an escape attempt from a work crew assigned to Convict Camp 8 in Orange County. The inmates were working on a road construction project on Route 15 near the Culpeper County line.

The inmate, along with six others, had planned to escape by using the noise of the road making machinery to prevent the guards from hearing them. Guard Snow confronted the men as they escaped but was struck on the head with a hammer and knocked unconcious. One of the inmates then took his rifle and shot him in the abdomen.

Guard Snow was taken to the University of Virginia Hospital where he died later that night.

The inmates fled into the woods toward Culpeper. The inmate who planned the escape was captured quickly. The other inmates were captured over the next two days. The inmate who planned the escape and the inmate who shot Guard Snow were both sentenced to death. One was executed on April 4th, 1922, and the other was executed on May 26th, 1922.