206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Harold Gene Matthews

Death by Force
Case Description
Any updates on this case? Let us know!
On a humid evening on June 3, 1983, the quiet of rural Lawrence County, Arkansas, was shattered by a violent shootout that claimed the life of Sheriff Harold 'Gene' Matthews. The 38-year-old male lawman was killed while attempting to apprehend a heavily armed federal fugitive named Gordon Kahl. The events unfolded at a fortified, bunker-like house built into a hillside just outside of Smithville.

The chain of events leading to the fatal confrontation began months earlier and hundreds of m ...Read More
Links to Additional Sources (6)
See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Sheriff Harold Gene Matthews - Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)
  • Harold Gene Matthews (1946-1983) - Find a Grave Memorial
    •     ...View 4 additional sources
    Victim Details

    Harold Gene Matthews

    Male

    White / Caucasian

    Walnut Ridge

    AR

    1983-06-03

    38

    Harold

    Gene Matthews

    Primary Suspect Deceased

    11/12/2025

    Forum Posts (3)
    I've been thinking a lot about the Ginter couple's involvement in this tragic event. It must be so c... ...Read More
    11/14/2023
    I’ve been thinking a lot about the Ginters’ role in this tragic event. It’s tough to wrap my h... ...Read More
    06/19/2023
    I've always felt uneasy about the Ginters' role in this tragic event. It's tough to comprehend how t... ...Read More
    05/13/2023
    Other Cases from Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

    John Biggers

    Death: Oct 30, 1912
    John P. Biggers, a 65-year-old male, was the city marshal of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, when he confron o ...Read More