Marshal Sherman Monroe Ricketts

Sherman Monroe Ricketts

Marshal Sherman Ricketts was shot and killed in front of the Presbyterian Church after responding to a call to check on a man walking on Reynolds Street at 2:45 a.m.

The suspect opened fire as soon as he approached him. Before dying, the marshal returned fire, hitting the suspect three times.

The suspect, a 25-year-old Michigan parole violator, had broken into nearby residences. He was convicted of Marshal Ricketts' murder and sentenced to life in prison on November 8, 1962. He was denied parole in April 2019. As of 2020, he remained in the Ohio Penitentiary as Ohio's longest-serving inmate. He died in prison in 2021.

Marshall Rickets had served with the West Liberty Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife and daughter.