In the late spring of 1911, a tragedy unfolded in Jefferson County, Alabama, that would leave a family without its patriarch and a community shaken. Constable William Lewis Staggs, a 34-year-old man, met his untimely end on May 24th while traveling home from his duties. As he rode his mule along a familiar path near the Bessie Mines, he was ambushed and fatally shot with buckshot.
The sudden and violent nature of his death sent ripples of fear and uncertainty through the area he served.
The investigation into the murder of Constable Staggs initially led to the arrest of two men. These individuals were charged with his killing and brought to trial. However, the legal proceedings did not result in a conviction, and both men were ultimately acquitted of the crime, leaving the question of who was responsible for the constable's death unanswered. The case, for a time, grew cold, and justice for William Staggs and his grieving family seemed elusive.
A significant break in the case came nearly a year later, on May 5th, 1912, from an unexpected source. A man in neighboring Bibb County, who had been mortally wounded by his own brother-in-law, made a deathbed confession. In his final moments, he admitted to being the one who shot and killed Constable Staggs. His confession also provided authorities with information that helped to clear up several other unsolved crimes in Jefferson County, finally bringing a sense of closure to a case that had been marked by uncertainty. William Lewis Staggs was survived by his wife and six children.
