Deputy Sheriff Henry F. Nelson

Henry F. Nelson

Deputy Sheriff Henry Nelson and Deputy Sheriff Theodore Crossley were shot and killed when they went to investigate a charge of hay theft in Belleville, California.

When the officers arrived at the scene one of the suspects opened fire, killing both deputies.

The man was sentenced to death for the murders and was hanged at San Quentin State Prison on February 24th, 1922.

The subsequent search for the suspects was the first time airplanes were used in California for law enforcement searches.

Deputy Nelson had served with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for 14 years. He was survived by his wife, three children, mother, and three brothers.