Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff William Mathis succumbed to wounds sustained the previous day as he and his two deputies attempted to serve a warrant. The three deputies had mistakenly gone to the wrong house. When the sheriff identified himself a man in the house said that he had nothing to cause a warrant for his arrest and he refused to answer the door.
After several minutes of arguing through the door Sheriff Mathis kicked it in. As he entered the house he observed the man holding a shotgun and he opened fire, striking the man in the shoulder. The man returned fire, striking the sheriff with a shotgun blast.
At the sounds of the gunfire the two deputies came from the back of the house and exchanged shots with the man. One of the deputies was wounded and two females in the home were shot, one of them fatally. The suspect recovered from his wounds and was tried for Sheriff Mathis' murder. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and the charges were dismissed.
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BO-US-KY-0B689490- Stewardship
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- 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 Mathis served with the Muhlenberg County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Greenville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Mathis.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff William Sherman Mathis 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Sherman Mathis's cause is highlighted.
How William Sherman Mathis Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Sherman Mathis is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.