Roll of Honor
William Picket "Willie" Giddens
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Willie Giddens was shot and killed late one evening near Doles as he and another deputy attempted to serve a warrant on a man for failure to appear in court. As they entered the man's home he opened fire with a shotgun killing Deputy Giddens instantly. The suspect was apprehended several days later in East Chicago, Indiana.
The suspect was found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang. The Georgia Supreme Court overturned the conviction and a new trial was ordered. The suspect was again found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang, but the Georgia Supreme Court again overturned the conviction. His third trial resulted in an involuntary manslaughter conviction and he was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison.
Deputy Giddens had served with the Worth County Sheriff's Office for four years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and five children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-D660AE82- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Giddens gave the Worth County Sheriff's Office 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Sylvester community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Giddens.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff William Picket "Willie" Giddens 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 GA, 548 of 903 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Picket "Willie" Giddens's cause is highlighted.
How William Picket "Willie" Giddens Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 15 to 20 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Picket "Willie" Giddens is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Picket "Willie" Giddens was killed by shotgun.