On the first day of October in 1973, a wave of violence that began in Lexington, Kentucky, tragically cut short the life of 64-year-old Elva F. Harper. A male, Mr. Harper was the night manager at Fisher's Motel in Falmouth, a town roughly 80 miles from where the crime spree originated. His life came to an abrupt and violent end when he was shot and killed during the commission of a robbery at the motel.
The day's horrific events started in Lexington with the discovery of three members of
the Barnes family found shot to death in their home. The perpetrators, who were later identified as two escaped federal prisoners, then traveled to Falmouth. At the Fisher's Motel, they continued their rampage, fatally shooting Mr. Harper and two other men, David Sizemore and Monroe Sizemore. Two other individuals at the motel were also shot but survived their injuries. The chaos and violence of that day left a total of six people dead across two different communities.
The search for the individuals responsible for this trail of bloodshed led authorities to two escaped inmates from a local correctional facility. The suspects were identified as Wilmer Elvis Scott, 35, and William Sloan, 24. Their capture brought an end to the immediate threat, but the legal process would unfold differently for each man. Before he could be brought to trial for the murders, Wilmer Scott took his own life in his jail cell. William Sloan, however, faced justice for his role in the heinous crimes. He was ultimately convicted for his part in the murder spree and received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would never again be a threat to the public.
