In the winter of 1845, a dedicated lawman, Sheriff Lansford Stallings, met an untimely and violent end in the line of duty. At 41 years old, he had served the community of Cherokee County, Alabama, for a year, a role that would ultimately cost him his life.
On Thursday, December 4th, Sheriff Stallings was in the process of attempting to arrest a man when the encounter turned fatal. The suspect, whose name is not recorded, brandished a handgun and shot the sheriff, killing him.
The act of violence plunged the community into a state of shock and mourning for their fallen officer.
Following the murder, the suspect fled the state, sparking a manhunt that would last for seven long months. The search for justice for Sheriff Stallings finally came to a close when the suspect's body was discovered in a river in Louisiana. He was survived by his wife and three children.
