Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Marshal Ren Ashby was shot and killed by the son of a man who had just been arrested by the town marshal.
The marshal had arrested the man on an outstanding charge of violating the peace. After turning the man over to the sheriff, the marshal and Deputy Marshal Ashby met on the street and began talking. The man's 27-year-old son suddenly appeared with a shotgun and without warning fired at both men.
Deputy Ashby was killed while the marshal was struck in the face and back and severely wounded. A former town marshal arrested the man and took him to the jail in Dixon where he was charged with murder.
The suspect was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 8 years. On December 24, 1902, he was pardoned by Governor J. C. W. Beckham.
When the boys father who was accused of telling his son to shoot the marshals was released from jail, he was told to leave Slaughtersville and never return. On June 17, 1899, he did go back and was found the next morning dead from a shotgun blast in the face. The former town marshal who arrested his son was charged with his murder. He was acquitted.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-KY-56023471- 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
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Marshal Ashby served with the Slaughtersville Marshal's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Slaughters community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Marshal Ren Ashby 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. Ren Ashby's cause is highlighted.
How Ren Ashby Compares
Offender Outcome
Pardoned in 1902
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Ren Ashby is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Ren Ashby was killed by shotgun.