Frankie Betterton

Frankie Lynn Betterton was a 43-year-old husband and father who was living his lifelong dream of serving as a law enforcement officer. Friends described the Pittsylvania County, Virginia, man as a dedicated family man who was well-liked in his community. Before joining the Sheriff’s Office in September 1999, he had worked for a local cable company, but his true calling was police work. A former colleague recalled that being a deputy sheriff was "the main thing he always wanted to do because he felt like he could make a difference." For three years, he served with honor, wearing his badge, number 64, with pride. He and his wife, Mary, had a son and two daughters, and his life was rooted in the community he swore to protect.

On the afternoon of Friday, May 17, 2002, Deputy Betterton’s commitment to his community cost him his life. Around 2:30 p.m., he was on patrol when he initiated a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 58, near Danville. The situation involved two vehicles, driven by a man and his girlfriend who had reportedly been arguing with each other from their cars. The girlfriend asked Deputy Betterton for his help in issuing a trespassing notice to the man, 23-year-old Roy Inge Jr. Following procedure, Deputy Betterton spoke with the woman and then had Inge sit in the front passenger seat of his patrol car to question him. While seated next to the deputy, Inge produced a .380 caliber handgun and shot Frankie Betterton once in the head. Deputy Betterton died at the scene.

The cold-blooded murder sparked an intense manhunt involving the Virginia State Police and surrounding law enforcement agencies. As investigators processed the scene on the closed highway, Deputy Betterton's colleagues stood by and saluted as his body was respectfully removed. The community of Brosville was overcome with shock and anger. "Angry, just disgust, very uncalled for," one family friend told a reporter. "It was a situation that should never have happened." The search for Inge ended the following morning, May 18, when he was arrested without incident around 5:30 a.m. He was charged with capital murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and held without bond.

The trial of Roy Inge Jr. began in February 2003. During the proceedings, a former inmate who had been incarcerated with Inge testified that Inge had confessed to the killing. The inmate told the court that Inge described the murder in detail, stating that he knew he was going to shoot the deputy and it was just a matter of when and how. After deliberating for just over an hour, the jury found Roy Inge Jr. guilty of capital murder. They recommended a sentence of death.

However, on April 24, 2003, in a move that stunned the community, the presiding judge set aside the jury's recommendation. Citing details in a pre-sentencing report, the judge imposed a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. While Inge was brought to justice, the decision not to implement the death penalty was a point of contention and pain for many who mourned the fallen deputy.

The loss of Frankie Betterton left a permanent scar on his family and community. His funeral was held at Brosville United Methodist Church, and he was laid to rest at Danville Memorial Gardens with honors from the Virginia State Police Honor Guard. In a heartbreaking turn of events, the Betterton family would endure another tragedy twelve years later when Frankie’s son, Frankie Lynn Betterton II, died in an automobile accident in October 2014.

Frankie Betterton’s sacrifice has not been forgotten. His name is etched on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and on a local monument in downtown Chatham honoring officers who died in the line of duty. To permanently honor his memory, the Route 58 bypass bridge near where he was killed was officially renamed the Deputy Sheriff Frankie Lynn Betterton Memorial Bridge. Additionally, the Deputy Frankie Lynn Betterton Scholarship was established through the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region to support local students pursuing a career in law enforcement. As of April 2003, the case is closed with the conviction and sentencing of his killer.