Investigator Larry Douglas Stevens Sr. was 38 when he was killed on January 24, 1979, while on duty with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office in Augusta, Georgia. According to reports, he stopped a suspect wanted for questioning in a burglary; the traffic stop escalated when the suspect opened fire, shooting Stevens multiple times through the patrol car’s windshield and then again through the rear window, fatally wounding him.

A manhunt followed. The suspect was located after a high-speed chase that ended in a shootout with law enforcement. He was charged with first-degree murder, convicted, and initially sentenced to death; that sentence was commuted in 2000 to life plus 60 years. The killing remains a stark example of the risks faced by officers in routine encounters.

If anyone has memories of Investigator Stevens, knows more about the events that day, or has information relevant to the case, please share what can help preserve the record.