In the winter of 1976, a dedicated law enforcement officer in Winston County, Alabama, met an untimely and violent end. Deputy Sheriff Dennis Rowe, a 25-year-old male, was shot and killed on the night of January 11, 1976, while on patrol in the Double Springs area. His death sent shockwaves through the community and left a lasting scar on those who knew him.
On that fateful evening, Deputy Rowe and his partner, Deputy Chuck Thompson, were on night patrol. They stopped to check on a car that had driven into a ditch near a motel. As they were assisting the driver, another vehicle, driven by Olynn Kenneth Burnett, Jr., passed them, then stopped and backed up. Without warning, Burnett opened fire, fatally wounding Deputy Rowe with a shot to the head. Burnett then fired at Deputy Thompson, who was able to return fire as he sought cover. Thompson was unharmed in the exchange.
The investigation that followed led to the swift arrest of Olynn Kenneth Burnett, Jr. He was subsequently tried for the murder of Deputy Dennis Rowe. On May 17, 1976, a jury found Burnett guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Burnett was also tried and convicted of assault with intent to murder for firing at Deputy Thompson. The motive for the shooting was connected to illicit activities that Burnett and his family were allegedly involved in, which had drawn the attention of the local sheriff's department. Deputy Rowe's end of watch came as a result of his commitment to upholding the law in his community.
