Deputy Sheriff John Middleton

This story is not correct. I am the great niece of John Middleton. He died in front of the Evarts Drug Store, not in Kenvir. My dad, his nephew, was 8 years old at the time and was in the vehicle with John when he was shot in the head. The gunman also tried to shoot my dad, but the gun didn’t go off. The gunman then ran into the drug store and bragged that he had shot John Middleton and said he tried to shoot “that kid” but the gun wouldn’t go off. He then fired the gun and it went off in the drug store. He went to jail then and was convicted of John’s murder. I have the original Harlan Daily Enterprise article on it and my dad was a living witness. Several other witnesses there recounted this same story to me, after I was grown. Thank you for honoring him, but please correct this article, as this is part of Harlan County, KY history.

Celia Barley Joyce
Great Niece of John Middleton

November 25, 2021