Patrolman George A. Conn

George A. Conn

Patrolman George Conn was shot and killed near Freeport when he stopped to investigate four men and a woman in a parked car beside the highway.

A massive search was started when Patrolman Conn failed to answer his radio calls. A few hours later, a Harrison County farmer found his patrol car. The next day Patrolman Conn's body was found in a ditch four miles from where his patrol car was located. He had been shot four times.

Four men were arrested in January 1938 and charged with Patrolman Conn's murder. One of the suspects was convicted of his murder and sentenced to life in prison on November 10, 1938. He was paroled in May of 1963. Another suspect was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced from 1 to 20 years on January 19, 1939. The other two suspects were acquitted.

Patrolman Conn was the first member of the Ohio State Patrol to be shot to death. He was survived by his parents and two brothers.