Town Marshal John Newkirk was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a subject for assaulting a juvenile.

   An intoxicated man and his companions were creating a disturbance. When a juvenile asked them to stop, he was assaulted and sought the assistance of Marshal Newkirk.

   While searching for the subjects, two men confronted Marshal Newkirk near the railroad depot when he was shot in his left chest and died the following day.

   A 36-year-old man was found several hours later nearly drowned in the Little Raccoon Creek. He was subsequently found guilty of manslaughter by a jury in a change of venue to Fountain County and sentenced to 21 years in prison.

   His 30-year-old companion was convicted of complicity to murder in a change of venue to Fountain County and he was sentenced to three years in prison.

   Town Marshal Newkirk was elected to a one-year term and survived by his wife, son and parents.

The responsibilities of the Judson Town Marshal's Office (1899–1994) are now under the jurisdiction of the Parke County Sheriff's Department.

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This officer, discovered in 2021, has not been submitted for consideration as an eligible line of duty death to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund by the Parke County Sheriff's Department.

Read more on our research at Honoring Our Fallen Town Marshals.