Deputy Sheriff Leamon "Slim" Martin

Leamon "Slim" Martin

Deputy Leamon was beaten and shot with his own weapon while bringing in two suspects.

The deputy stopped for dinner with the suspects at about 6:00 pm. At some point after dinner one of the suspects struck him in the back of the head with a machinists hammer and a fight ensued. The other suspect seized his gun and fired five times and also struck him with the gun. This happened at about 6:35 pm., the time his watch had been broken.

They drug his body into the woods and took his patrol car. They were in an accident with a bus and fled the scene. They were apprehended two days later.

Both suspects were sentenced to life in prison and were paroled in 1954.

Deputy Martin was survived by his wife and two daughters. He had previously been a sergeant with the state police before resigning to become a deputy sheriff.