SOMERSET, Ky. (LEX 18) — When people came together at yearly ceremonies to remember assassinated Pulaski County Sheriff Sam Catron, his brother Lewis was always there.
“No matter what we do or how I miss him every day, we was close, but he's in a much better world than we are [now],” Lewis told LEX 18 at one of those yearly events.
Lewis and Sam were reunited last week. Lewis, along with his wife, Carol, were found dead in their home last Friday. It’s believed to be the result of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“They’re popular for reasons because they’re just really genuine, good people, pillars of the community, willing to step up and do what they need to do," said Pulaski County Sheriff Bobby Jones.
Jones is one of two employees left in the department who worked under Sam Catron. He had a bond with both Lewis and Carol, making responding to the scene where they were found dead all the more difficult.
Both were considered longtime members of the law enforcement community. Lewis was a special, then honorary deputy.
“As long as I'm sheriff, we're never going to forget what Sheriff Sam Catron or Lewis and Carol did for this community,” Jones said.
Sheriff Sam Catron died in 2002, after being shot at a political rally in Pulaski County. Three men went to prison, including a former deputy.
Lewis and Sam’s father, Harold, former Somerset police chief, died in the 1960s as a result of being shot the decade prior.
"My prayers go out to the family,” Jones said. “I can't imagine what they are going through right now. It just seems like one tragedy after another.”
Their funeral is set for 1 p.m. Thursday.
