E.M. "Zeke" Boyles was the son of James Marshall Boyles and Mary Pritchett. He grew up in Warrenton, Alabama.

He married Eva Etchison on Christmas Eve 1924. The couple had at least two daughters, Doris and Marion.

Zeke served as a deputy sheriff for Marshall County and became Sheriff by 1951.

In the spring of 1951 Zeke was killed in the line of duty while serving a warrant at the home of farmer/bootlegger Aubrey Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick was involved in a violent feud with neighboring farmers and had recently been in a fight with a man named D. C. Dean, of Gadsen. Dean pressed charges against Kilpatrick. The Marshall County Sheriff's office called Kilpatrick and asked him to come into town to face the charges. He refused.

Marshall County Sheriff E.M “Zeke” Boyles, Chief Deputy Sheriff Washington Bennett, Deputy Sheriff James Lang, and Boaz Chief of Police Leonard Floyd gathered together and drove out to Kilpatrick’s remote mountain home to serve the warrant. Along the way, they picked up Kilpatrick’s 14-year-old son, Billy, and had him in the patrol car.

Accounts differ as to what happened when they arrived. Billy Kilpatrick claimed the officers fired first. The surviving police officer, James Lang, claimed it was an ambush. Deputy Lang was in the house when the gunfight began and was shot by an undetermined gunman. Aubrey Kilpatrick was quickly killed but at some point, Aubrey’s 16-year-old son, James, emerged from the house with his father’s rifle and shot Chief of Police Floyd, Sheriff Boyles, and Deputy Bennett.

Chief Floyd and Sheriff Boyles died at the scene, but Deputy Bennett, mortally wounded in the throat, was able to drive critically wounded Deputy Lang four miles back to Boaz. Deputy Lang survived, but Deputy Bennett died later at a hospital in Gadsden and was hailed a hero.

James Kilpatrick went through five trials before ultimately being sentenced to a 10-year prison term. He served four years and was released. He died in 2009 without any further criminal record.

Bio provided by Rob Bennett∼Sheriff E. M. Boyles
Marshall County Sheriff's Department
Alabama
End of Watch: Thursday, May 17, 1951

Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, May 17, 1951
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Released from prison

Sheriff Boyles, Chief Deputy Bennett, and Chief of Police Leonard Floyd, of the Boaz Police Department, were shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant at a residence. Several suspects were wounded in the shootout. The men were convicted of the murders but have since been released from prison.

E.M. "Zeke" Boyles was the son of James Marshall Boyles and Mary Pritchett. He grew up in Warrenton, Alabama.

He married Eva Etchison on Christmas Eve 1924. The couple had at least two daughters, Doris and Marion.

Zeke served as a deputy sheriff for Marshall County and became Sheriff by 1951.

In the spring of 1951 Zeke was killed in the line of duty while serving a warrant at the home of farmer/bootlegger Aubrey Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick was involved in a violent feud with neighboring farmers and had recently been in a fight with a man named D. C. Dean, of Gadsen. Dean pressed charges against Kilpatrick. The Marshall County Sheriff's office called Kilpatrick and asked him to come into town to face the charges. He refused.

Marshall County Sheriff E.M “Zeke” Boyles, Chief Deputy Sheriff Washington Bennett, Deputy Sheriff James Lang, and Boaz Chief of Police Leonard Floyd gathered together and drove out to Kilpatrick’s remote mountain home to serve the warrant. Along the way, they picked up Kilpatrick’s 14-year-old son, Billy, and had him in the patrol car.

Accounts differ as to what happened when they arrived. Billy Kilpatrick claimed the officers fired first. The surviving police officer, James Lang, claimed it was an ambush. Deputy Lang was in the house when the gunfight began and was shot by an undetermined gunman. Aubrey Kilpatrick was quickly killed but at some point, Aubrey’s 16-year-old son, James, emerged from the house with his father’s rifle and shot Chief of Police Floyd, Sheriff Boyles, and Deputy Bennett.

Chief Floyd and Sheriff Boyles died at the scene, but Deputy Bennett, mortally wounded in the throat, was able to drive critically wounded Deputy Lang four miles back to Boaz. Deputy Lang survived, but Deputy Bennett died later at a hospital in Gadsden and was hailed a hero.

James Kilpatrick went through five trials before ultimately being sentenced to a 10-year prison term. He served four years and was released. He died in 2009 without any further criminal record.

Bio provided by Rob Bennett∼Sheriff E. M. Boyles
Marshall County Sheriff's Department
Alabama
End of Watch: Thursday, May 17, 1951

Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, May 17, 1951
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Released from prison

Sheriff Boyles, Chief Deputy Bennett, and Chief of Police Leonard Floyd, of the Boaz Police Department, were shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant at a residence. Several suspects were wounded in the shootout. The men were convicted of the murders but have since been released from prison.