Mark Read

Gilchrist County Sheriff's Dept. — Trenton, FL

Felonious

End of Watch December 9, 1956

The Vigil Panel 92 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Sheriff Read was met with a shotgun blast as he stepped out of his car at a rural residence eight miles north of Bell. He went there to investigate a complaint from neighbors who said the 60 year-old home owner was drunk and terrorizing people with a gun. Sheriff Read was able to call for help and drove away from the home. A short distance away he was found by a local citizen after he drove into a ditch. He died at the hospital several hours later. The suspect was taken into custody by Florida State Troopers at his home. He was convicted of first degree murder and executed in the electric chair June 1, 1959.

Survivors

Sheriff Read was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-3965E15D
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Read served with the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Trenton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Read.

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

Agency

Department Gilchrist County Sheriff's Dept.

Location Trenton, FL

Platform Identity gcso.gilchrist.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 9, 1956

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Executed in 1959

Sheriff Mark Read 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 FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Gilchrist County Sheriff's Dept., 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Gilchrist County Sheriff's Dept.

of 4 officers

100% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious