Sheriff Calvin R. Kelly

End of Watch: Sat, Dec 19th, 1931

Date of Incident: Not Known

Cause of Death: Gunfire (Intentional)

Service Time: Not Known

Age: 45

Survivors

Sheriff Kelly was survived by his wife.

Incident

Sheriff Kelly was shot and killed by two members of the Barker Gang while investigating a report of a suspicious car. One of the suspects was responsible for the murder of Chief Manley Jackson, of the Pocahontas Police Department, Arkansas.

On December 19, 1931, Alvin F. Karpis who was driving a 1931 blue De Soto and his passenger Fredrick G. Barker, both well-known gangsters, pulled into Davidson’s Garage located in West Plains. Their intent was to have two flat tires repaired.

The blue De Soto alerted the attendant at Davidson's Garage for it matched the description of a vehicle stolen near McCallon’s Store in West Plains when it was burglarized a few nights earlier. With this description, the attendant notified Sheriff Kelly of the suspicious vehicle.

Sheriff Kelly arrived and approached the suspect vehicle from the right side door with both Karpis and Barker still seated inside. Sheriff Kelly immediately received decisive gunfire from both Karpis and Barker. Sheriff Kelly was fatally wounded

One suspect was later shot and killed by FBI agents. The second suspect was apprehended and committed suicide in 1979.

Information obtained from the Officer Down Memorial Page.