In the winter of 1906, a dispute over the enforcement of local laws in the town of Durango, located in La Plata County, Colorado, escalated to a fatal conclusion for Sheriff William J. Thompson. On Tuesday, January 9th, Sheriff Thompson was shot and killed by a town marshal following a heated argument. The source of the conflict was the sheriff's decision to close down gambling halls within the town, a move that was met with resistance.
The disagreement between the two lawmen came to a
head inside one of the gambling establishments. The argument moved outside, where gunfire was exchanged. Sheriff Thompson was fatally wounded during the shootout, while the marshal also sustained injuries. In the aftermath, the town marshal was charged with the murder of Sheriff Thompson.
During the legal proceedings that followed, it was alleged that Sheriff Thompson had been shot in the back. However, a crucial piece of evidence was lost when the undertaker burned all of Sheriff Thompson's clothing, destroying the evidence that could have substantiated this claim. This lack of evidence ultimately led to the acquittal of the town marshal, leaving the death of Sheriff William J. Thompson without a legal conviction.
