Fallen Cape PD officer remembered 100 years after death

The Cape Girardeau Police Department paid tribute to Good Hope Street night policeman Willis Martin who was killed on duty 100 years ago on Feb. 27, 1921.

Martin's body was discovered by two men at approximately 7:30 a.m. Feb. 27, 1921, at Segal Shoe Store, located at 629 Good Hope St.

"We train vigorously to use good tactics and make sound decisions on a scene to mitigate officer in-the-line-of-duty deaths, but every law enforcement officer realizes you can not anticipate or prepare for every contingency that may be thrown at you in this career," Sgt. Joey Hann said. "We mourn the fallen officers, locally, nationally and around the world and we just do our best to honor their memory and make it home safely to our own families at the end of every shift."

It's reported that one of the people who found Martin had found a new shoe lying in the street and took it home to show his brother. When the pair checked to see if any of the shoe stores in the area had been burglarized, they discovered Martin lying in the doorway of Segal.

According to the Cape Girardeau Police Department, there are two theories surrounding Martin's death.

The first is Martin found an open door at the shoe store while on his patrol rounds, and was attacked by a burglar when he entered. Martin is believed to have disarmed the burglar when a second burglar fired two shots, ultimately killing Martin. This theory is supported because a new revolver was found under Martin's body identified as one previously stolen. Martin's own revolver was found at his feet with the hammer back.

The second theory is when Martin discovered the open door, he realized a burglary was being committed and entered the store. While possibly attempting to find an electric light to turn on, it's believed Martin was shot at by someone who was crouched near the door. This is supported by the fact both bullets struck Martin in the back. One passed through his body in a manner leading investigators to believe the shooter had been crouching, and the other passed through nearly horizontally.

Martin's autopsy revealed he was shot in the back and died from significant blood loss. It's unknown exactly when he died, but because of the coroner's inquest, it's believed it occurred between 3 and 4 a.m.

Four men were arrested for Martin's murder. Following their arrests, one of the men implicated another as the one who shot the officer.

Martin was 59 years old at the time of his death, and had been a resident of Cape Girardeau for 26 years. He was buried in Fairmount Cemetery.