Sergeant Earl Marlin Heisler

Earl Marlin Heisler

Sergeant Earl Heisler was shot and killed while checking on a suspicious vehicle behind the Ramada Inn West, on Route 60. He was checking the area due to recent burglaries at the nearby Stratford Hall Apartments.

As he checked the hotel parking lot he observed three people sitting in the vehicle. As he spoke to the occupants, he observed a bag of marijuana on the backseat of the car. During the subsequent search, the vehicle's driver grabbed Sergeant Heisler's service weapon and shot him in the face.

The man fled the state but was later apprehended and returned to Virginia. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He was paroled in March 2018.

Sergeant Heisler was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.