In the spring of 1922, a long-standing animosity between two men from Rockingham County culminated in a fatal encounter on a public road in Albemarle County, near the community of Barboursville. On the afternoon of Friday, April 6, 1922, Turner Shiflett was shot and killed by Joe Rogers. The weapon used was a shotgun, and the single blast ended Shiflett's life instantly.
It was reported that Rogers had been seeking to confront Shiflett the night before the deadly altercation.
Both men had been working in the Barboursville area. The motive for the killing was attributed to a grudge that had festered between them for a number of years. Following the shooting, Sheriff J. Mason Smith was notified, and his deputy, Garland Thomas, was dispatched to apprehend the suspected shooter. Rogers was found at his home and was arrested without incident. He was subsequently transported to the jail in Charlottesville to await legal proceedings.
The investigation into the death of Turner Shiflett, who was the son of Al Shiflett of Elkton, continued as his brothers, W.P. and Albert Shiflett, traveled to Albemarle County to look into the circumstances surrounding their brother's death. An inquest was conducted by Magistrate Hughes of Proffit. Turner Shiflett's body was returned to his home for burial the following Saturday.
The case took a final, grim turn while Joe Rogers was incarcerated. On the Tuesday following his arrest, Rogers took his own life in his jail cell. He used his overalls to hang himself, bringing a somber and abrupt end to the legal process that would have followed the death of Turner Shiflett.
