Barrett Travis Hill, a 38-year-old white male, was a Deputy Sheriff with the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Houston, Texas. On December 4, 2000, Deputy Hill was tragically killed while responding to a call about two individuals breaking into cars in a wooded area in the 900 block of Dunson Glen Drive. Upon arrival, the suspects fled into the woods, and Deputy Hill, along with his field training officer, pursued them on foot.
Deputy Hill managed to capture one of the suspects and radioed his success. However, shortly after, his training officer heard gunshots and was unable to reach Deputy Hill by radio. Deputy Hill was found moments later, having sustained gunshot wounds to the face, chest, and hand, despite wearing a vest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect who shot Deputy Hill then carjacked a woman in a nearby apartment complex and fled the scene. He was arrested later that morning, approximately 75 miles away, after being spotted by a sheriff's deputy in another jurisdiction. On January 16, 2002, the suspect was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
Deputy Hill was a U.S. Army Veteran of the Gulf War and had served as a jailer for the Harris County Sheriff's Office for three and a half years. He was just finishing his field training before becoming a patrol deputy. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, parents, and siblings.
The case of Deputy Hill's murder has seen significant legal proceedings. The suspect, Robert Gene Will, has maintained his innocence, claiming that another individual, Michael Rosario, was the actual shooter. Will's defense has argued that Rosario, a Houston police officer's son with a long felony history, confessed to the murder. Despite these claims, Will was convicted and sentenced to death. In recent years, there have been ongoing legal battles and appeals, with federal judges raising questions about Will's actual innocence and the effectiveness of his legal representation. However, the law has prevented any changes to his conviction, and Will remains on death row.
