May 21, 1903, marked a dark day in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Deputy Sheriff J.C. Baker paid the ultimate price for his duty when he was fatally wounded by Charles Matherson, a man with a history of violence. Baker, a dedicated public servant, had been trying to arrest Matherson when the suspect opened fire, striking the deputy in the chest. Matherson’s reckless act would have far-reaching consequences, leaving a community in shock and a family to mourn the loss of a brave officer.
Related Federal Cases
- Gordon Lasley, Jr. Charged with First Degree Murder, Iowa, 2014 · Washington
- Jonathan Curtis Youngbear, Murder Charged, IA, 2014 · Iowa
- Jonathan Curtis Youngbear, First Degree Murder, IA, 2014 · Pennsylvania
- Gordon Lasley, Jr. Charged with Double Murder, Tama IA, 2023 · Mississippi
- Megan Schmidt, Murder for Hire, IA, 2013 · Pennsylvania
Key Facts
- State: IA
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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