Sheriff C. Roy Kelly

C. Roy Kelly

Sheriff C. Roy Kelly was shot and killed by two members of the Barker Gang while investigating a suspicious car at the Davidson Motor Company Garage on East Main Street in West Plains around 9:00 a.m.

Sheriff Kelly was investigating the robbery of the McCallon clothing store in West Plains. When Sheriff Kelly noticed a car implicated in the burglary, he approached the vehicle. He opened the door to the vehicle, and one of the men stepped out, pointed his gun at Sheriff Kelly's chest, and fired multiple times. The men drove away. Law enforcement found the abandoned car and their hideout east of Thayer. Inside the house, they found maps and drawings for additional bank and store robberies.

One of the suspects was a leader of the Barker-Karpis Gang. He was also responsible for the murder of Chief Manley Jackson of the Pocahontas Police Department, Arkansas. He was later shot and killed by FBI agents.

Survivors include his wife.

The Barker-Karpis Gang committed violent crimes throughout the American Midwest in the late 1920s and mid-1930s. Members and associates of the gang were responsible for the murders of at least ten law enforcement officers.

Please click here to view all the law enforcement officers killed by the Barker-Karpis Gang.