In the midst of a tense labor strike that had gripped the town of Decatur, Arkansas, Constable Lester Kenneth Setser, a 32-year-old White male, found himself on duty, trying to maintain peace. It was on June 5, 1951, that a disturbance call from the Pluss Poultry plant set in motion a tragic chain of events. The plant was a focal point of the strike led by the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, and tensions were running high, with reports of threats and vandalism
creating an atmosphere of unrest.
Upon his arrival, Constable Setser, a World War II veteran who had served his community for two years, encountered an intoxicated and agitated man named William Cowart. After placing Cowart under arrest, Setser escorted him to his residence to await the arrival of a Benton County sheriff's deputy. It was a decision that would prove fatal. While the constable was engaged in conversation with Cowart's wife, Cowart managed to retrieve a handgun from within the house. Without warning, he opened fire, shooting Constable Setser four times and killing him instantly. The sudden violence of the act sent shockwaves through the community, marking the darkest moment of the strike.
The aftermath of the shooting was swift. William Cowart was arrested and subsequently charged with first-degree murder. The legal process culminated on September 21, 1951, when he was convicted for the murder of Constable Setser and sentenced to life in prison. Despite the gravity of his crime and the life sentence, Cowart would only serve twelve years before being released. In the years that followed, the town of Decatur chose to honor the fallen officer's sacrifice. A street was named in his honor, a lasting tribute to the man who lost his life while protecting his community. Lester Kenneth Setser was survived by his expectant wife and five children.
