Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Willard Hall and Deputy Sheriff David Galloway were shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a man at another man's home.
As the two talked to the homeowner and the suspect, the homeowner's wife opened fire from behind a door with a shotgun, killing both. When the sheriff and others arrived at the home, the woman confessed she shot both after their conversation turned ugly, and a deputy drew his gun and grabbed her husband. She said she opened fire because she feared for his life. Both men and the woman's 16-year-old son stated that they did not know what had happened. All four were arrested and jailed for murder.
The man, 58, who had the warrant was acquitted of killing Deputy Contable Isom Miles in 1923, but was convicted of murdering a man in 1929. In March of 1948, he was rushed to a hospital after a piece of meat got stuck in his throat. The food was successfully removed, but the stress caused him to have a heart attack, and he died an hour later. The woman's husband, 52, was convicted of two counts of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 42 years. He was paroled in May of 1954. In April of 1949, the woman, during her trial, held to her story that she killed to save her husband. Her husband and son stuck to their story, claiming they did not know what had happened. She was acquitted. Charges were dropped against her son.
Deputy Hall had served with the Letcher County Sheriff's Office for 25 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-6579483E- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
25 years. You could have gone home.
Deputy Sheriff Hall gave the Letcher County Sheriff's Office 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Whitesburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Hall.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Willard Hall is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 22.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Letcher County Sheriff's Office, 16 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 84.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Willard Hall's cause is highlighted.
How Willard Hall Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Willard Hall is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
18 officers from Letcher County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
