In the spring of 1952, the town of Marked Tree, Arkansas, was shaken by the sudden and violent death of one of its own peacekeepers. Albert Rinks, a 61-year-old Night Marshal with the Marked Tree Police Department, was a familiar figure in the community, having served for three years. On April 29th, his life was cut short in an act of retaliatory violence that stemmed from a routine arrest.
The day began as any other for Marshal Rinks, who, in the course of his duties, arrested a local
man named Olaf Hubbs for drunken and disorderly conduct. After being held in the town jail for a couple of hours and paying a fine, Hubbs was released and escorted home. However, the matter was far from over in Hubbs's mind. Seething with resentment, he armed himself with a shotgun and drove back into town, seeking out the lawman who had arrested him.
Upon spotting Marshal Rinks, Hubbs opened fire, fatally wounding the veteran officer. The community was left to grapple with the senseless loss of a dedicated public servant. The perpetrator, Olaf Hubbs, was subsequently apprehended and faced the full force of the law for his actions. He was tried and convicted for the murder of Marshal Albert Rinks and was sentenced to serve the remainder of his life in prison.
