In the summer of 1943, a dedicated officer of the Petersburg Bureau of Police, Patrol Officer Robert B. Hatchell, a 45-year-old male, met a tragic and untimely end. His death stemmed from what began as a routine vehicle pursuit of a stolen car. The chase concluded dramatically when the vehicle careened over an embankment near the old Petersburg Hospital. The driver hastily abandoned the car and fled on foot, with Officer Hatchell in close pursuit.
The foot chase led into a nearby ravine.
It was in the seclusion of this ravine, as Officer Hatchell was escorting the suspect back up towards Washington Street, that the situation turned fatal. The suspect managed to gain control of Officer Hatchell's service weapon and fatally shot him. This violent act cut short the life of an officer who had served his community for 15 years.
In the immediate aftermath, two passengers who had been in the stolen vehicle identified the driver, leading to his swift arrest and subsequent charge of murder. The legal process moved forward, culminating in a first-degree murder conviction and a sentence of death for the accused. However, this was not the final chapter in the story. On October 13th, 1945, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
Years later, the case took an unexpected turn as new evidence emerged, casting serious doubt on the convicted man's guilt. The two passengers who had originally identified him as the driver could no longer be located to testify. The new evidence was compelling enough that on December 23rd, 1952, Governor John Battle issued a full pardon, clearing the man who had spent years in prison for Officer Hatchell's murder. The case of Robert Hatchell's death, once thought to be solved, was now shrouded in uncertainty, leaving the question of who was truly responsible for his death unanswered.
