Florida Highway Patrol, Florida
End of Watch: Friday, December 5, 1941
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 6 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 5, 1941
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Executed in 1942
Trooper Luther Daniel was shot and killed while questioning the driver of a stolen car in Miami. The suspect was taken into custody by two U.S. Immigration Agents four miles from the crime scene two days later. The gun used to murder Trooper Daniel had been used in another murder in Ohio several months earlier.
The 22-year-old suspect was an escapee from a Georgia mental hospital. Although he was in a mental hospital he had never been judged insane and was found fit to stand trial. He was convicted of murder and executed in the electric chair on July 20, 1942.
Trooper Daniel had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for 6 months. He was survived by his wife and son.