On a late summer afternoon in Maricopa, Arizona, the life of a dedicated lawman was tragically cut short. Robert Dorn, a 49-year-old White male and a Lieutenant with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, was shot and killed on August 31, 1965. With a decade of service to his community, Lieutenant Dorn was known for his commitment to helping others.
On that fateful day, he had stopped to assist a stranded motorist on 91st Avenue, just north of Glendale Avenue.
The man he intended to help, Herbert Overton, was distressed over recent visits from deputies concerning delinquent taxes and feared losing his trailer home. In a sudden and violent turn of events, Overton emerged from his pickup truck and began firing a. 357 caliber handgun at Lieutenant Dorn without any warning. Despite being mortally wounded by a gunshot to the head, Lieutenant Dorn managed to return fire, injuring Overton.
Following the shooting, Overton fled the scene and drove to a friend's home in El Mirage, Arizona. A neighbor alerted the authorities to his presence, and he was soon apprehended by the El Mirage police chief and other officers. His first words upon being confronted were, "I surrender." Herbert Overton was subsequently charged with the first-degree murder of Lieutenant Robert Dorn.
Overton's legal proceedings took a significant turn when, after a mental examination, he was initially found incompetent to stand trial and was committed to the state hospital in January 1966. It wasn't until May of 1975 that he was deemed competent to face the charges. A jury ultimately found Overton guilty of second-degree murder. However, this verdict was later overturned, and a judgment of not guilty by reason of insanity was entered. Following this, Overton was committed to a mental institution and was later released.
