Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office, South Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, June 3, 1965
Age:
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 3, 1965
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 18 years
Deputy James "Roy" Myers was shot and killed by a man he stopped for speeding. The suspect was arrested a short time later in Berkeley County. It was discovered that the suspect had been hit five times by Deputy Myers return fire.
The 35-year-old suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. The state supreme court overruled the verdict and ordered a new trial. He was convicted of manslaughter April 23, 1969, and sentenced to 18 years. He appealed his conviction which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, who refused to hear the case in 1971.
Deputy Myers had served with the agency for 2 years and was survived by his wife and three children.