Deputy Sheriff Daniel Stephen Ray Jr., age 20, was shot and killed on May 10, 1986, while on duty at the County Confinement Facility in Houston County, Georgia. Ray had been with the Houston County Sheriff’s Office for less than a year.

The suspect was identified as Keith Kindle Perry and was later sentenced to life in prison for the murder. The case drew attention because Deputy Ray had shared pizza with the trustee the night before the attack. Ray’s loss was noted as deeply felt by colleagues and the community; his father, Danny Ray Sr., who worked for the Georgia State Patrol, was also affected. Ray’s photo hangs in the Houston County Sheriff’s Office lobby and his death was marked by a police funeral.