In the quiet, church-going community near Moulton, Alabama, a plan of deadly intent was set into motion against a local lawman. Lawrence County Deputy Sheriff Andrew Thomas Dutton, a 45-year-old male, was a man known for his persistent and effective raids on the area's illegal liquor stills. This dedication to his duty, however, had made him a target.
On the evening of Sunday, June 13, 1937, a deceptive call reporting a disturbance lured Deputy Dutton to a church teeming with its congregation, a place that would tragically become a scene of violence. The report was a ruse, a calculated plot to bring the unsuspecting deputy into the line of fire.
The serene atmosphere of the church was shattered when gunfire erupted. Deputy Dutton was struck five times in a brutal ambush. Despite his severe injuries, he managed to draw his own weapon and return fire, critically wounding his attacker. The chaos of the shootout also caught several parishioners in the crossfire, with six individuals being hit by bullets. Tragically, one of the wounded parishioners would succumb to their injuries a week later. In a heartbreaking turn of events, Deputy Dutton's own 18-year-old daughter was present at the church and witnessed the entirety of the horrifying incident that claimed her father's life.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation led by the Lawrence County Sheriff revealed the calculated nature of the attack. It was determined that Deputy Dutton had been intentionally lured to the church as part of a conspiracy to assassinate him in retaliation for his relentless efforts against the local moonshine operations. Two men, the gunman and an accomplice, were subsequently charged with the murder of Deputy Sheriff Andrew Thomas Dutton. The man who fired the fatal shots was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder and handed a 35-year prison sentence for his crime. However, he would not serve the full term, as he was granted parole and released on May 2, 1947.
