Town Marshal George A Church

George A Church

Town Marshal George Church was killed as he was attempting to arrest a group of bootleggers.

Shortly before daybreak, Marshal Church attempted to arrest four individuals for illegally transporting alcohol in the state. One of the suspects drew a revolver and shot Marshal Church twice. While he was on the ground, he was shot three more times. His body was discarded in a pile of weeds until he was discovered later that day.

Five individuals were arrested in connection with his murder. Four suspects were charged as accessories; three were released with time served, and the fourth was sentenced to one year. The suspect responsible for shooting Marshal Church was originally sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to life in prison.

Prior to becoming the marshal for Barboursville, he had served as a lieutenant with the Huntington Police Department.