Incident
Deputy Sheriff Lawrence Conley was shot and killed from ambush as he stood outside of his patrol car at a service station in Garrett at approximately 11:45 pm. The service station had closed for the night, and Deputy Conley had pulled in and parked, facing the highway. He had gone to Garrett to meet with a county constable to discuss an assault case he was investigating. At some point, someone approached and shot him twice at close range with a 12-gauge shotgun, killing him instantly. The suspect was apprehended in 1974 and charged with murder. A judge reduced the charges and granted the suspect a five-year sentence that the state Supreme Court overruled. The results of the subsequent trial are unknown. Deputy Conley had served with the Floyd County Sheriff's Office for 14 months.
Survivors
He was survived by two children and his parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-184E338D- 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
You barely got started.
Deputy Sheriff Conley gave the Floyd County Sheriff's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Prestonsburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Conley.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Lawrence Conley 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 Floyd County Sheriff's Office, 11 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 91.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lawrence Conley's cause is highlighted.
How Lawrence Conley Compares
Offender Outcome
Charged with murder
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Lawrence Conley is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Lawrence Conley was killed by shotgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
11 officers from Floyd County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.







