In the small town of Hackleburg, Alabama, a routine vehicle stop on a late June day in 1964 ended in the tragic death of a local law enforcement officer. Conley Taylor, a 40-year-old White male, was on duty when he pulled over a vehicle just a block off the town's main street. The stop occurred behind the residence of one of the individuals in the car.
As Officer Taylor was engaged in conversation with one of the occupants, the other person walked to his nearby house and emerged with a
12-gauge shotgun. Without warning, he fired at Officer Taylor, killing him. The following morning, Officer Taylor was discovered, his body hunched forward and face down. His. 38 caliber pistol was found on the ground near his hand, with the hammer cocked but none of its six rounds discharged.
Following the discovery of Officer Taylor's body, an investigation was launched that led to the arrest of two suspects. The man who fired the fatal shot, a 35-year-old, was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Officer Taylor. He was granted parole on August 27, 1977. In an unrelated incident on March 11, 1984, the man who killed Officer Taylor was shot and killed during a home invasion at his residence in Hartselle.
