Sheriff James Goodwin suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to apprehend two inmates, being held on auto theft charges from Florida, as they were escaping from the Spencer County Jail.

   As he heard the commotion, Sheriff Goodwin ran down the stairs when he saw the 17- and 20-year-old male inmates and captured one of them in the street. He collapsed as he escorted the juvenile back inside before being taken to Owensboro Daviess County Hospital in Kentucky where he died.

   Sheriff Goodwin was in his first term. He was survived by his wife, son, four daughters, four grandchildren, three brothers and three sisters.