Roll of Honor
Incident
Town Marshal George Church was killed as he was attempting to arrest a group of bootleggers.
Shortly before daybreak, Marshal Church attempted to arrest four individuals for illegally transporting alcohol in the state. One of the suspects drew a revolver and shot Marshal Church twice. While he was on the ground, he was shot three more times. His body was discarded in a pile of weeds until he was discovered later that day.
Five individuals were arrested in connection with his murder. Four suspects were charged as accessories; three were released with time served, and the fourth was sentenced to one year. The suspect responsible for shooting Marshal Church was originally sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Prior to becoming the marshal for Barboursville, he had served as a lieutenant with the Huntington Police Department.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WV-F9F25158- 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.
Town Marshal Church served with the Barboursville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Barboursville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Town Marshal Church.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Town Marshal George A Church 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 WV, 169 of 232 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 72.8% of this state's fallen. That is 18.6 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. George A Church's cause is highlighted.
How George A Church Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life in prison
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. George A Church is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. George A Church was killed by gun; unknown type.