C.F. “Neil” Grantham

End of Watch: Thursday, March 1, 1979

On March 1, 1979, Coffee County Sheriff C.F. “Neil” Grantham was murdered in front of the Coffee County Jail. 

Sheriff Grantham ran into a former prisoner who was waiting outside the jail, parked in the sheriff's spot. The man shot the sheriff three times, then sped off to a relative's home, where he sat on the porch and waited for authorities. The sheriff was taken to the Elba General Hospital where he died of several gunshot wounds to the chest.

On June 30, 1981 Billy Joe Magwood was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to die.  In 1985 he was resentenced to death, after several appeals, on June 24th, 2010 the United States Supreme Court overturned the death sentence.