Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch: Saturday, January 5, 1974
Age: 41
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 5, 1974
Weapon Used: Handgun; .22 caliber
Suspect Info: Paroled in 1988
Deputy Joe Smith was shot and killed by a hitchhiker while giving directions to a truck driver around 1:30 a.m.
The truck driver had picked up the hitchhiker, a soldier from nearby Fort Bragg.
While Deputy Smith sat in his patrol car at the 401 Truck O'Tel on U.S. 401 south of Fayetteville, the suspect exited the truck and shot him in the head. The suspect then stole Deputy Smith's patrol car and wrecked it while being pursued by police. The suspect fled on foot into a residential area and was captured minutes later.
There was no motive for the murder. The suspect was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison on April 1, 1974. He was paroled on July 8, 1988.
Deputy Smith was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office for two years. He was survived by his wife and five children.