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Almost Yesterday is a glimpse into the rich history of our region. Dr. Frank Nickell takes listeners on a journey to specific moments in time, such as the first radio broadcast on KFVS, the history of Farmington’s Carleton College, and the short-lived safari on a Mississippi River island. A gifted storyteller and local historian, Dr. Nickell’s wit and love for the past are combined with sounds and music that augment his narrative.On Saturday, June 7, 2008, Almost Yesterday received First Place in the "Special Programs" category at the Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards Banquet in Kansas City, Missouri.Almost Yesterday airs every Wednesday at 5:42 and 7:42 a.m. and 5:18 p.m.

Cape Policemen Shot

  Two Cape Girardeau police officers were fatally shot by jail escapees from California.
Southeast Missouri State University

It seems like almost yesterday when the Cape Girardeau Police Department encountered a tragic and fatal shooting. It was March 10, 1961. Officers could not have been more surprised when they pulled two men over for acting suspiciously in the local Krogers grocery store and the men immediately opened fire upon them.

Police officer Herbert Goss was hit with one of the first shots. Patrolman Donald Crittenden was hit in the abdomen -- both men quickly rushed to the hospital. Tragically, both men died.

The criminals escaped in their Oldsmobile as the police fired shots in pursuit. In their urgency to escape, the suspects stopped three men in a Chevrolet and stole their vehicle.

The chase continued as the men raced west to a farmhouse near Grassy. There, later, they attacked a farmer and took his 1960 black Ford and disappeared into the night. The search continued with bloodhounds, officers on the ground and a helicopter from Jefferson City overhead.

In the morning one suspect, Sammy Tucker, was spotted hiding in the brush near Grassy and taken into custody. He admitted that he and two other men had escaped from a California jail the week before and had planned on robbing the Kroger store but fled when the manager became suspicious.

One suspect remained at large for an entire week. The manhunt came to an end when the exhausted individual, Douglas Thompson, turned himself in to the Butler County Police in Poplar Bluff.

The event lasted 7 long days. It was 45 years ago but the tragic consequences of it makes it seem like Almost Yesterday. 

Frank Nickell is a retired history professor at Southeast Missouri State University.
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