Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Ed Davis deputized and ordered James Robert Godley, a doctor by trade, and J. F. Henderson to arrest Bob Smith. Smith was wanted on a charge of bigamy. When the two deputies attempted to make the arrest, Smith using a shotgun, shot and mortally wounded Godley. Godley died the next day.
Bob Smith escaped in a hail of gunfire. He was arrested several weeks later. A poem, The Ballad of Bob Smith, by Lucius Dow Henderson, written in the middle 1950s, states that Bob Smith was lynched in his jail cell at Fosterville.
Dr. Godley was survived by his wife, Georgia, and four children. He is believed to be buried in an unmarked grave in the area of the former town of Fosterville, in northeastern Anderson County, Texas.
Survivors
Godley was survived by his wife, Georgia, and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-DC3D17A0- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
152 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Godley served with the Anderson County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Palestine community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff James Robert Godley is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Anderson County Sheriff's Department, 4 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Robert Godley's cause is highlighted.
How James Robert Godley Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Robert Godley is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Robert Godley was killed by shotgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Anderson County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
