In the quiet, rural landscape of Dale County, Alabama, on a Sunday afternoon, September 18, 1927, the life of 43-year-old Adus Egypsia Windham was tragically cut short. A newly deputized officer, having served for only a single day, Windham was assisting Deputy Sheriff Arthur Kelley in enforcing local prohibition laws. The chain of events leading to his death began with a seemingly routine traffic stop near Cedar Grove Church in the vicinity of Midland City.
The deputies pulled over a
vehicle in search of illegal liquor. Finding none, they released the driver. However, this interaction sparked a fatal course of retaliation. The driver, angered by the stop, returned to his stepfather's home and recounted the incident. The two men, arming themselves with a shotgun and. 45 caliber handguns, then proceeded to the area where the traffic stop had occurred. They laid in wait for the deputies.
As Deputies Windham and Kelley were conducting another traffic stop, they were ambushed by the two men. The attack was sudden and brutal. Deputy Kelley was struck multiple times in the torso and died instantly, his service weapon still in its holster. Adus Windham was hit in the head and torso by both shotgun and pistol fire. Despite his grievous wounds, he managed to return fire, grazing the stepfather in the head.
Following the deadly ambush, the stepfather and stepson returned to their nearby home where they surrendered to law enforcement without further incident. Both were charged with first-degree murder. In February of 1928, the stepfather was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. However, a year later he was granted a new trial and his sentence was reduced to 20 years. The stepson was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the murders.
Adus Egypsia Windham was survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, two brothers, and a sister. His death, alongside that of Deputy Kelley, marked a dark day in the history of Dale County law enforcement, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those sworn to uphold the law.
