Killing of Henry Bailey and Herman Wilson in Arkansas in 1945

Incident

Case summary

Herman Wilson (1913 - 1945), a truck driver, was found dead alongside another man named Henry Bailey in the county jail in Clark County, Arkansas in December 1945. Sheriff W. T. Matlock found Wilson and Bailey dead in their cells when he went to serve breakfast. It was said the men either froze to death or died from toxic fumes at the jail. The coroner ruled their deaths to be due to natural causes, claiming that Bailey died of a heart attack and Wilson of alcoholism. Henry Bailey (1922 – 1945), a public worker, was found dead alongside another man named Herman Wilson in the county jail in Clark County, Arkansas in December 1945. Sheriff W. T. Matlock found Bailey and Wilson dead in their cells when he went to serve breakfast. It was said the men either froze to death or died from toxic fumes at the jail. The coroner ruled their deaths to be due to natural causes, claiming that Bailey died of a heart attack and Wilson of alcoholism.

Victim(s):

Henry Bailey

Herman Wilson


Alleged perpetrators/other named individuals:

Clifton Hardin

W. T. Matlock

Otis Pennington

Perpetrator group type: police

Date of incident: 1945-12-15
Location: Arkadelphia, Clark County, Arkansas
Location type: carceral location
Allegation against victim: committing petty larceny; exhibiting drunkenness

Coroner process
Coroner/inquest: yes
Finding of no legal responsibility: yes

Criminal process
Arrest: [ ]
Charge/indictment/information: [ ]
Grand jury: [ ]
Trial: [ ]
Conviction: [ ]
Sentence: [ ]

FBI case ID:

Bureau 44-1338

Little Rock 44-91

DOJ case ID:

144-10-9


Document(s):
death certificates - closed
federal agency records
news articles - closed
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