Bay County Sheriff's Office, Florida
End of Watch: Monday, September 9, 1935
Age:
Tour of Duty: 9 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 9, 1935
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Died in prison
Deputy Sheriff William Pledger was shot and killed while checking on road houses and night spots in the Bayou Gorge area. At approximately 1:00 am he became engaged in an altercation with two brothers at the Night Owl Club, a roadhouse near Panama City. One of the men produced a handgun and shot both his brother and Deputy Pledger, killing them both.
The suspect, 28, was convicted of Sheriff Pledger's murder and sentenced to death. The Florida Supreme Court granted a new trial and on April 4, 1937, he was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life. He died in prison on February 4, 1938.
Deputy Pledger had served with the Bay County Sheriff's Office for approximately nine months.