Constable Lee Roy Selman

Lee Roy Selman

Constable Lee Selman was shot and killed by a suspect who was wanted for the murder of Policeman Hence Giles, of the Texarkana Police Department, on July 16th, 1926.

The suspect had escaped from the Miller County Jail three months earlier while on trial for Policeman Giles' murder.

The suspect was captured in Sevier County and subsequently charged with Constable Selman's murder, as well as a third murder. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. Governor Harvey Parnell later reduced his sentence to 21 years and granted him a Christmas furlough in 1932. He failed to return and was listed as an escapee on January 8th, 1933. One month later he was arrested in Plain Dealing, Louisiana, after robbing a bank.

He was also identified as having robbed a bank in Texas while out on furlough. He was convicted of bank robbery and shooting with intent to murder, and sentenced to life in prison. In September of 1933 he, along with several other inmates, escaped from Angola Penitentiary. During the escape, prison Captain John A. Singleton, Guard James Fletcher, and Trustee Guard Arnold Davis were slain. He was captured one month later in Clarksville, Texas. He was charged with bank robbery, kidnapping, and several other crimes in Texas and sentenced to life in prison. In 1936 he was extradited back to Louisiana and charged with Captain Singleton's murder. His trial resulted in a mistrial.

In 1943 he was again charged with Captain Singleton's murder and the trial again resulted in a mistrial. On May 26th, 1959, he was released from Angola Penitentiary and returned to the Arkansas Penitentiary to finish his sentence there.