United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Saturday, August 8, 1953
Age: 54
Tour of Duty: 20 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 8, 1953
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Convicted of murder
Deputy Marshal Samuel Vaughn was killed in Bartow County, Georgia, while transporting two prisoners from Tennessee to the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. Three days earlier both were convicted of interstate auto theft and sentenced to 5 years each.
The two prisoners were some how able to overpower Deputy Marshal Vaughn and his partner. At some point the suspects shot Deputy Marshal Vaughn several times and left his body on the side of U.S. 41, near Adairsville, in front of the home of a farmer, who witnessed the incident. They held the other deputy marshal as a hostage as they continued to flee. A few minutes later they set their hostage free and abandoned the car near Adairsville. Four days later the suspects, 25 and 31, were apprehended by several National Guardsmen, officers, and FBI Agents. Both were convicted of murder. One was sentenced to life and the youngest, who shot and killed Marshal Vaughn, was sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life and in 1955 he was sent to Alcatraz.
Deputy Marshal Vaughan had served in several law enforcement positions in his 20-year career.