On January 2, 1990, 55-year-old Lauderdale County Deputy Sheriff Bobby Joe Nolen was killed while on duty. Nolen and his partner, Deputy Kevan M. Ward, had stopped to help an 82-year-old motorist whose car had broken down and offered him a ride into Ripley, Tennessee. During the trip the man drew a .357 caliber handgun from his jacket and shot both deputies in the back of the head. The patrol car, left without a driver, ran off the road, crossed the median, climbed an embankment and crashed into a field.

Both deputies were found seated and still belted in their seats and had died of their wounds. The suspect, rendered unconscious by the crash, had a long criminal history dating back to 1927 including assaults and weapons violations; he was committed to a mental institution after the killings and remained there until his death in September 1995. Deputy Nolen had served one year with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and was survived by his wife and five children.

Does anyone have memories of Deputy Nolen or additional details about the deputies’ final call that could help fill in the timeline?