Blogtober 2023
Deputy Doug Murphy found the 1991 Ford F-150 three miles down County Road 675, a location that the few residents of Butler County, Missouri, who knew of it called “the middle of nowhere.” The truck had apparently slid down an embankment into the dried remains of a bean field.
The driver was Virgil Tippen, a notable alcoholic and deer poacher who had been reported a week before as a missing person despite the fact that not one single person missed him. The report was filed by the county collector’s office after their third fruitless visit to his trailer to try to collect on four years of back taxes.
Murphy wasn’t on duty that day; he was scouting for deer when he saw the skid marks swerving off the gravel road and recognized the truck from the BOLO description. He was careful to approach the truck from the front, and once he saw Tippen’s dead body rigid behind the steering wheel, he retraced his steps back to his vehicle.
Two more deputies arrived in their brown-and-white county cruisers and parked in line behind Murphy’s Ram 1500.
“Hey, Doug,” the older one said. “Whatcha got?”
“Tippen’s dead in the truck,” Murphy said. “Clarkton’s on his way.”
The younger deputy, just a few months out of the Sheriff’s Academy, headed toward the embankment. The older uniformed officer grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
“If you like this job, just stay put until Joe Don gets here,” he said in a whisper.
Photo credit: "Finland Kuorevesi gravel road maintenance.JPG" by Roadscanners is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Comments