Henry Herman Denhardt (March 8, 1876 – September 20, 1937) was an American

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and military officer, who served as the 34th

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

from 1923 to 1927, under Governor William J. Fields. He later served as the 36th Adjutant General of Kentucky from 1932 to 1935 under Governor

Ruby Laffoon Ruby Laffoon (January 15, 1869 – March 1, 1941) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 43rd governor of Kentucky from 1931 to 1935. A Kentucky native, at age 17, Laffoon moved to Washington, D.C., to live with his uncle, U. ...

. Denhardt was born in

Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a city in Warren County, Kentucky, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 72,294 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Kentucky, third-most populous city in the stat ...

in 1876. In November 1936, he was charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Verna Garr Taylor, and tried in New Castle, Kentucky. The trial ended with a

hung jury A hung jury, also called a deadlocked jury, is a judicial jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after extended deliberation and is unable to reach the required unanimity or supermajority. A hung jury may result in the case being tried again. Thi ...

. Before Denhardt could be retried, he was shot and killed by Taylor's three brothers at the Armstrong Hotel in

Shelbyville, Kentucky Shelbyville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in and the county seat of Shelby County, Kentucky, Shelby County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,282 at the 2020 census. History Early history The town of Shelbyville ...

on September 20, 1937. The brothers were later acquitted of killing Denhardt.

Sources

''The Political Graveyard''
*''Louisville Courier Journal''

References

{{Kentucky-politician-stub 1876 births 1937 deaths 20th-century American murderers American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Lieutenant governors of Kentucky Deaths by firearm in Kentucky Murdered American criminals Politicians from Bowling Green, Kentucky People charged with murder People murdered in Kentucky People murdered in 1937 United States Army generals United States Army personnel of World War I Vigilantism in the United States