B. Cowart
1965
B. Cowart.
How He Died
Manner
Natural
Cause
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Mechanism
Bodily force
What Happened
Investigator B. Cowart suffered a fatal heart attack after being assaulted by a prisoner at the Clay County Jail.
He was assisting West Point police officers with a civil rights march of students at Mississippi State University and was searching for a student who had been arrested for blocking a sidewalk. The student suddenly spun around, grabbed Investigator Cowart, and pushed him to the ground. Investigator Cowart suffered a heart attack and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The student was charged with manslaughter, but the charges were later dismissed.
Investigator Cowart was a United States Army World War II veteran and had served with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for 19 years.
He was assisting West Point police officers with a civil rights march of students at Mississippi State University and was searching for a student who had been arrested for blocking a sidewalk. The student suddenly spun around, grabbed Investigator Cowart, and pushed him to the ground. Investigator Cowart suffered a heart attack and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The student was charged with manslaughter, but the charges were later dismissed.
Investigator Cowart was a United States Army World War II veteran and had served with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for 19 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and four siblings.
Service Record
Also Served
Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Bureau of Investigation
Investigator
In Our Keeping
Permanent identifier
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Record added
August 2, 2026
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