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Deputy Sheriff Esther Lafayette Lewis | Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina

Deputy Sheriff

Esther Lafayette Lewis

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina

End of Watch: Saturday, December 9, 1950

Biographical Info

Age: 53
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 9, 1950
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Paroled in 1982

Deputy Lewis was shot and killed at approximately 6:15 pm as he attempted to take a man into custody for shooting his estranged wife's dog.

As he was arresting the suspect, the man drew a concealed handgun and shot Deputy Lewis four times, and then fled the scene.

The suspect was arrested, convicted of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life on January 19, 1951. He was sent to the Dorothea Dix Mental Hospital in Raleigh, where he escaped a few days later. He was recaptured in Seattle, Washington, by FBI agents on December 23, 1955. He was paroled on February 8, 1982.

Deputy Lewis was survived by his wife and child.