Incident Details
Cause of Death:Town Marshal Donald Goodwin and Deputy Marshal William Peters were shot and killed during a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle from Kentucky.
The two males had burglarized a residence near Miller's Sunoco Station where they were stopped. A passer-by found the bodies of the officers at the closed gas station. Marshal Goodwin was found slumped in the front seat of the patrol car and Deputy Marshal Peters was found laying on the ground nearby.
The 21- and 23-year-old offenders fled the scene, setting fire to the stolen vehicle a few miles away, but were eventually captured. Both offenders were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. In May 2016, the Indiana Parole Board denied parole to both offenders in separate hearings.
Town Marshal Goodwin and Deputy Marshal Peters were brothers-in-law. He was survived by his wife.
Historical Note • This incident was one of 23 which resulted in the line of duty deaths of two officers. |