In the spring of 1911, a lawman by the name of Roy Woofter, a 31-year-old male, served as a Marshal in Roswell, New Mexico. His tenure in this role had been for about a year, having previously served with law enforcement agencies in Albia, Iowa, and in West Virginia. On Friday, May 26, 1911, Marshal Woofter, accompanied by other officers, went to the home of a man to serve a warrant for the illegal sale of alcohol.
Upon their arrival, the subject of the warrant allowed the officers to
enter his residence. However, the situation quickly escalated as the man then barricaded himself inside a room. From behind the closed door, he fired a gun through a window, the bullet striking Marshal Woofter. The Marshal succumbed to the gunshot wound the following day. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife. His body was later buried in Oakview Cemetery in Albia, Iowa.
The suspect, a 36-year-old man, was arrested and subsequently stood trial for the murder of the lawman. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to death. However, his legal journey was not over. In 1913, the New Mexico Supreme Court granted him a new trial. This second trial resulted in a conviction for second-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 99 years in prison. In an unexpected turn of events, on December 21, 1918, the man was pardoned by Acting Governor Antonio Lucero, with the stipulation that he leave New Mexico and never return.
