Samuel Enoch Vaughn
Agency patch
Deputy U.S. Marshal

Samuel Enoch Vaughn

Felonious
End of Watch August 8, 1953
Age 54
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
The Vigil Panel 89 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Marshal Samuel Vaughn was killed in Bartow County, Georgia, while transporting two prisoners from Tennessee to the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. Three days earlier both were convicted of interstate auto theft and sentenced to 5 years each. The two prisoners were some how able to overpower Deputy Marshal Vaughn and his partner. At some point the suspects shot Deputy Marshal Vaughn several times and left his body on the side of U.S. 41, near Adairsville, in front of the home of a farmer, who witnessed the incident. They held the other deputy marshal as a hostage as they continued to flee. A few minutes later they set their hostage free and abandoned the car near Adairsville. Four days later the suspects, 25 and 31, were apprehended by several National Guardsmen, officers, and FBI Agents. Both were convicted of murder. One was sentenced to life and the youngest, who shot and killed Marshal Vaughn, was sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life and in 1955 he was sent to Alcatraz. Deputy Marshal Vaughan had served in several law enforcement positions in his 20-year career.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-4BCC2477
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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Vaughn gave the United States Department of Justice 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy U.S. Marshal Vaughn.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 8, 1953
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 54
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's handgun

Deputy U.S. Marshal Samuel Enoch Vaughn 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 DC, 754 of 1,418 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.2% of this state's fallen. That is 53.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, 251 of 313 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80.2% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service
251
of 313 officers
80.2% Felonious
DC — Statewide
754
of 1,418 officers
53.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Samuel Enoch Vaughn's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Samuel Enoch Vaughn Compares

Age at Death
54
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
20
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Samuel Enoch Vaughn is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Samuel Enoch Vaughn was killed by officer's handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909