Lieutenant Ted Cephus Elmore, 51, was shot during a routine traffic stop on Highway 64-70 on November 11, 1971, after exiting his patrol car. The assailants had earlier wounded an Atlanta police officer and were later identified and captured with assistance from multiple officers, including Tommy Propst and Paul Burgess. Lieutenant Elmore did not die at the scene; he succumbed to his wounds on April 27, 1983.

Because Elmore survived more than a year after the shooting, the laws then in force prevented murder charges tied to the original incident, and the perpetrators were prosecuted on lesser counts. His death is recorded as a service-related homicide and is remembered by colleagues and the Catawba County community.

Does anyone have contemporary memories of the case, the capture of the suspects, or of Lieutenant Elmore’s service?