In the cold, high desert of northern Arizona, the final hours of 1988 bled into a new year marked by violence and loss. On New Year's Eve, Navajo County Deputy Sheriff Robert William Varner, Jr., a 51-year-old man, was on patrol along Interstate 40. His shift took a fatal turn when he initiated a traffic stop involving a stolen vehicle with stolen license plates. The occupants of the vehicle, two men on a multi-state crime spree, responded with deadly force, shooting Deputy Varner.
The shooting triggered a massive manhunt across the desolate landscape for the two suspects. One of the men was apprehended the following day in the nearby town of Holbrook, a crucial breakthrough for law enforcement who were reeling from the attack on one of their own. The search for the second suspect, identified as Douglas Savory, continued with grim determination. He was eventually tracked to a ranch outside of Winslow, where the pursuit escalated into a tense standoff.
As law enforcement officers surrounded the ranch house, Savory opened fire with an AK-47, emptying the rifle before retreating inside. A SWAT team responded, deploying tear gas in an attempt to force him out. However, as officers prepared to make entry, a final gunshot echoed from within the house. Douglas Savory had taken his own life, bringing a violent end to the manhunt. Deputy Varner succumbed to his wounds on January 2, 1989, leaving behind a legacy of service and sacrifice that is still remembered by his colleagues and the community he served.
