Sheriff Frank C. Crawford

Frank C. Crawford

Sheriff Crawford was shot and killed in the town of Hanging Dog, North Carolina, while attempting to serve a warrant on a man for arson. The suspect had a long standing grudge against Sheriff Crawford and had threatened in the past to kill him if the sheriff ever attempted to arrest him again.

As Sheriff Crawford stepped out of his car at the end of the man's drive way, the man shot him in the chest with a shotgun, killing him instantly. The suspect fled into the woods where he was apprehended later in the night.

The suspect was convicted of murdering Sheriff Crawford and sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to 40 years in prison. He was released from prison on January 12, 1978.